24.02.2023

Flatiron delivering infrastructure improvement projects in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) selected Flatiron for two major infrastructure projects that will improve transportation in the state – a $247 million I-95 widening and rehabilitation project near Lumberton and a $126 million segment of the new Winston-Salem beltway project.  

23.02.2023

Fugro opens cutting-edge Remote Operations Centre in Canada

23.02.2023

TEI Rock Drill’s Hollow Bar School

Students will learn from industry experts through classrooms and field training about the process and best practices of installing hollow bar micro piles for soil stabilization. All aspects of hollow bar installation will be taught including the following:  

22.02.2023

Brumadinho – Remediation progresses and Dam Safety is reinforced

Brumadinho – Remediation progresses and Dam Safety is reinforced (Credits: Vale)

More than 13,500 people have so far (January 2023) signed an indemnity agreement to compensate for the damage caused by the failure of the B1 Tailings Dam in Brumadinho and evacuations in other areas. For people living close to Vale’s dams, safety has been reinforced. For example, in 2022 alone, the company dismantled five more upstream dams, taking the total number to 12 since 2019. As a result, Vale’s Upstream Dam Dismantling Program is now 40% executed. In addition, economic development projects have been supporting the diversification of the economy and expanding tourism in the region. To carry out these initiatives, the company disbursed a total of R$37.2 billion between January 2019 and December 2022, including individual indemnity payments, compliance with the Comprehensive Remediation Judicial Agreement and other reparation measures.

Remediation agreement

The progress of these initiatives and transfers as part of the Remediation Agreement are on schedule and as foreseen by the signatories. (In addition to Vale, the state Government of Minas Gerais and several Legal Institutions signed the document in February 2021.) Around 300 projects are in the development phase and another 24, aimed at impacted municipalities, are in progress. Of these, nine are in Brumadinho and 15 are in 25 other municipalities in the Paraopeba River Basin. This work includes the structuring of Emergency Rooms to reinforce local health systems and the delivery of machinery for rural road maintenance. The total value of the Agreement is R$37.7 billion, of which approximately R$23.6 billion has been disbursed by the company so far, in amounts adjusted for inflation, equivalent to 58% budget execution.

Among the payable obligations, in line with the defined schedule, Vale has so far made disbursements of R$4.5 billion referring to the four installments of the Mobility and Public Service Strengthening Program. The last installment, R$1.2 billion, was deposited in court in November 2022. Another R$3.4 billion has been allocated to projects involving demands in the affected communities, R$4.6 billion has been assigned to the Income Transfer program for affected people, and R$2.1 billion has gone to the Water Security Program, among other initiatives.

Dam safety and non-repetition

Lessons learned from the Brumadinho dam failure led to the reformulation of Vale’s dam management, in line with the best and most rigorous international practices, integrated with social movements and considering advances in legislation. One of the pillars of this management is the elimination of upstream dams like the B1 Dam. Since 2019, Vale has invested R$5.8 billion in its Dam Dismantling Program.

Out of 30 upstream dams, 12 (40%) have been eliminated since 2019. In five cases, the dismantling work was completed in 2022. Engineering work is now under way on all the other upstream dams. The elimination of upstream dams is one of Vale’s main initiatives to prevent incidents like the one in Brumadinho from happening again.

Compensation

At least one family member of each employee or contractor who died in the B1 dam failure has now signed an indemnity agreement with the company. This reflects Vale’s commitment to quickly and definitively compensate all those who suffered any impact from the dam failure or local evacuations.

Vale has now signed indemnity agreements worth more than R$3.15 billion, covering 13,500 people, including those impacted by the failure of the B1 Dam and those affected by evacuations in other locations.

Care for people

Care for people is the focus of Vale’s activities in Brumadinho. The main support mechanism is the Family Reference Program, which has a team of professionals to provide psychosocial assistance. Created in 2019, this initiative has so far benefited more than 3,300 people.

The Primary Health Care Network has also been strengthened in Brumadinho and 14 other impacted municipalities. Through the Health Cycle Program, which was completed in the second half of 2022, 2,500 health professionals were trained and 5,700 items of equipment were delivered to more than 140 Primary Health Care Centers.

Other infrastructure work

Vale has been carrying out social and infrastructure work as part of the process of mitigating the impacts of the B1 Dam failure. In order to improve people’s quality of life, boost local tourism potential and create employment and income opportunities, the Território Parque Project was created in Córrego do Feijão. This has led to the construction of a Central Plaza, Community Market and Cultural Center. In recent months, leisure spaces have been opened to the community, including a woodland area.

Economic development

By fostering local potential, supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening the workforce, Vale is contributing to the economic diversification of impacted municipalities, generating employment and income for the population. Since 2019, almost R$55 million has been invested in economic development projects, resulting in 2,000 people trained, 7,500 hours of courses and workshops held, 8,000 hours of technical assistance, and 175 enterprises and 108 social organizations supported in Brumadinho, the Paraopeba River Basin and evacuated municipalities.

In the area of tourism, there were some important deliveries last year. The Céu de Montanhas Catalog was launched, which presents 29 tourism experiences in Brumadinho. This catalog is the result of extensive mapping work, technical assistance and systematization of rural and community-based tourism in the region. To increase its visibility among national tour operators and travel agents, the municipality participated, for the first time, in ABAV Expo, Brazil’s largest tourism trade show.

Environmental restoration

Around 42 hectares are undergoing environmental recovery, involving the planting of approximately 55,000 saplings. This area is equivalent to 42 soccer fields and it includes areas directly affected by the dam failure, as well as legally mandated minimum areas of native habitat, Permanent Preservation Areas and forest compensation areas.

Vale continues to carry out studies throughout the impacted area to enable complete environmental recovery. To do this, it has partnerships with teaching and research institutions such as Viçosa Federal University, a leading Brazilian university in the area of forestry science. The company only proceeds with reforestation after the tailings have been treated and the Minas Gerais Military Fire Department has given authorization.

Evacuated areas

Remediation and compensation measures are also under way in Barão de Cocais, Macacos (Nova Lima), Antônio Pereira (Ouro Preto) and Itabirito, where families were evacuated when the emergency level of local dams increased. Around 3,300 people have signed indemnity agreements worth more than R$571 million in all. The signing of these agreements reflects Vale’s commitment to provide full compensation.

In the district of Macacos, in December 2022, Vale signed a R$500 million agreement to conduct remediation work. In Barão de Cocais, the Compensation and Development Plan is under way and 10 new projects were recently approved. In Antônio Pereira, after a community consultation process, high-priority measures were identified and they are now in the development phase. In Itabirito, the Local Compensation and Development Plan is in the final stages of implementation. Among other things, there is an agreement to provide R$6.5 million to revamp the Specialized Rehabilitation Center, linked to the Itabirito branch of APAE, a charity for people with disabilities.

Source: Vale

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21.02.2023

BHP decision sets off more alarm bells on coal royalty tax

The Queensland Government needs to urgently reconsider its decision to introduce the world’s highest coal royalty tax after Australia’s biggest mining company BHP said it was a contributing factor in its decision to sell off two major Central Queensland mines. Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the company again warned the Government’s royalty increase makes Queensland uncompetitive in attracting investors.