UK High Court Rules BHP Liable for Devastating Brazilian Dam Collapse
In a landmark ruling, the UK's High Court has found mining giant BHP Group liable for the catastrophic 2015 collapse of Brazil's Fundão dam. The disaster, which was one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history, killed 19 people and released massive amounts of toxic waste into the Doce River, devastating villages downstream.
The court's decision, made by Mrs Justice O'Farrell, holds BHP responsible for the dam's collapse, despite the company not owning it at the time. The ruling notes that the risk of collapse was foreseeable and that there were "obvious signs of contractive, saturated tailings and numerous incidents of seepage and cracking" that could have been averted.
The implications of this ruling are significant, with estimates suggesting that 600,000 Brazilians will soon be eligible for compensation of around £36 billion. However, the decision only addresses liability and does not determine damages in a separate phase of the trial.
BHP has responded by stating its intention to appeal against the decision, arguing that the UK legal action was unnecessary as it duplicates matters already covered by ongoing proceedings in Brazil.
The collapse of the Fundão dam was a devastating event that had far-reaching consequences for local communities. The sludge released from the burst dam destroyed the village of Bento Rodrigues and badly damaged other towns. The disaster also killed off 14 tonnes of freshwater fish and damaged over 370 miles of the Doce River, according to research by Ulster University in the UK.
The river, which holds spiritual significance for the Krenak Indigenous people, has yet to recover from the damage caused by the disaster. The ruling comes as one of BHP's two main legal entities is based in London, allowing the trial to proceed despite Brazil reaching a separate multibillion-dollar settlement with mining companies just days earlier.
In a statement, BHP said it would continue to defend against the UK group action. However, the court's decision marks a significant turning point in the company's liability for the disaster, and its impact will be felt by those affected by this devastating event.
In a landmark ruling, the UK's High Court has found mining giant BHP Group liable for the catastrophic 2015 collapse of Brazil's Fundão dam. The disaster, which was one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history, killed 19 people and released massive amounts of toxic waste into the Doce River, devastating villages downstream.
The court's decision, made by Mrs Justice O'Farrell, holds BHP responsible for the dam's collapse, despite the company not owning it at the time. The ruling notes that the risk of collapse was foreseeable and that there were "obvious signs of contractive, saturated tailings and numerous incidents of seepage and cracking" that could have been averted.
The implications of this ruling are significant, with estimates suggesting that 600,000 Brazilians will soon be eligible for compensation of around £36 billion. However, the decision only addresses liability and does not determine damages in a separate phase of the trial.
BHP has responded by stating its intention to appeal against the decision, arguing that the UK legal action was unnecessary as it duplicates matters already covered by ongoing proceedings in Brazil.
The collapse of the Fundão dam was a devastating event that had far-reaching consequences for local communities. The sludge released from the burst dam destroyed the village of Bento Rodrigues and badly damaged other towns. The disaster also killed off 14 tonnes of freshwater fish and damaged over 370 miles of the Doce River, according to research by Ulster University in the UK.
The river, which holds spiritual significance for the Krenak Indigenous people, has yet to recover from the damage caused by the disaster. The ruling comes as one of BHP's two main legal entities is based in London, allowing the trial to proceed despite Brazil reaching a separate multibillion-dollar settlement with mining companies just days earlier.
In a statement, BHP said it would continue to defend against the UK group action. However, the court's decision marks a significant turning point in the company's liability for the disaster, and its impact will be felt by those affected by this devastating event.
This ruling is like, totally game-changing for the people of Brazil, you know? It's crazy that BHP can be held liable even though they didn't own the dam at the time. I mean, it's not like they just turned a blind eye to the whole thing, but still... 600k Brazilians are gonna get £36 billion? That's like, insane! 
And yeah, it's devastating that all those villages got destroyed and the river is still recovering. It's like, we gotta make sure our systems can handle these kinds of disasters so we don't repeat history, you feel? 
Like why is BHP getting in trouble if they didn't even own the dam? 
And how much money are we talking about here, £36 billion?! 
That's like a lot of cash. Is it true that this happened years ago and people were already hurt and stuff? 
I feel bad for those who lived through it. Can someone explain to me what contractive saturated tailings even means? 
Sounds like some fancy science mumbo jumbo... 
This ruling is like a weight has finally been lifted off the shoulders of all those who lost loved ones or livelihoods due to that awful dam collapse 
And yeah, BHP might try to appeal, but this is a major step forward for those who've been fighting for answers and compensation all these years 
Can't wait to see how this plays out and hope that the £36 billion or so in damages can bring some semblance of closure to those affected 
i feel so bad for the indigenous community & the villages downstream, its literally heartbreaking what happened 
the fact that 600k brazilians are gonna get £36b in compo is huge 