O Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG) asked justice, this Tuesday (28), to deform the two largest tailings dams in the country, the structures San Antonio It is Eustaceof the Canadian mining company kinross.

The company operates in Paracatu, in the northwest region of Minas, in gold production, being responsible for 22% of all national production, and silver, as a by-product.

The two dams together, add 1 billion and 233 million cubic meters of storage capacity. To give you an idea, the Fundão dam, in Mariana, had 55 million cubic meters, and that of Brumadinho, 12 million cubic meters.

O the body considers the imminent risk of a tragedydue to the size and amount of tailings accumulated in the two dams and, therefore, requested the ban.

According to the MPMG, Kinross started with a licensed processing capacity of around 5 tonnes per year and gradually expanded its operations, reach the potential of 7.5 tons gold per year.

Thus, according to the agency, the quantity of waste and the risk due to the existence of toxic materials in the disposal of arsenic, which can contaminate the Paracatu River, which in turn flows into the São Francisco River and can reach the Atlantic Ocean.

In order to depersonalize the dams, while waiting to present a project and to start using new methods of tailings storage, the mine, which is the largest in the world to extract gold from the open pit, should stop exploration.

A Globe Television had exclusive access to the document (see video above)who also asks unavailability of company assets with blocking of resources up to 100 million BRLan estimate of the resources required for the decharacterization process and for other corrective or safety measures.

The document also indicates that the data provided by the contractor itself shows that each of the dams can affect between 1,001 and 5,000 peoplewith potential for “very significant” environmental impacts.

The company said that it was not cited in the public civil action filed by the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais and that it is available to provide the necessary clarifications to the competent bodies.

Kinross informs that he was not cited on the public civil action mentioned in the note of the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais, today, Tuesday (28).

The company emphasizes that it is available to provide all the necessary details to the competent authorities and to the company. Its dams are safe, monitored 24 hours a day according to a rigorous system of risk prevention and control.

Kinross puts people first and will continue to take the necessary steps to maintain a safe environment for all local people, surrounding communities and our employees.