BHP Billiton today provided an update on the recovery and response effort following the breach of the Fundão tailings dam and Santarém water dam at Samarco’s iron ore operations in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in November 2015.
Works to stabilize tailings deposits along the impacted sections of the river system are continuing with the objective of reducing the potential for further erosion of tailings material into the river system.
These works include re-contouring tailings deposits, establishing a temporary vegetation cover and rock armoring sections of the main river channel and tributaries to reduce erosion.
The three containment dykes built by Samarco immediately downstream of Fundão are working effectively in reducing tailings movement down the river systems.
Remediation efforts are focused on tailings drainage control, stabilization of tailings deposited within the river systems, building additional sediment retention capacity and dredging of tailings deposited in the Candonga Dam.