Renova Foundation has started to work on the revisions and adjustments so that the plan can be implemented as soon as possible
The Tailings Management Plan, prepared by the Renova Foundation, has been validated by the environmental agencies that form the Tailings Management Technical Board – the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), the Minas Gerais State Department for the Environment (Semad-MG) and the State Environmental Institute of Espirito Santo (IEMA-ES), on June 13.
Now the Foundation’s technicians have begun to work on the revisions and adjustments proposed by the environmental agencies so that the plan can be implemented as soon as possible. One of them is the adoption of a process flowchart to make the handling of the tailings even clearer. The Technical Board will send a technical note about the approval to the Inter-Federative Committee (CIF).
In the photo, wood removed from the Gualaxo river bed. | Photo: Release
THE PROCESS TOWARDS APPROVAL
January 24 and 25: I workshop for the construction of the Tailings Management Plan with scientists from different areas, including experts, consultants and academics. The first guidelines for sediment management in the Doce River basin were drawn.
February 23: II workshop on the theme, preparation of the previous version of the management plan, based on the guidelines produced in the first edition of the event.
March 13: III edition of the workshop for final discussions on the Tailings Management Plan.
April 20: submission of the Tailings Management Plan for evaluation by the environmental agencies.
June 13: approval of the plan and forwarding of adjustments by environmental agencies, during the 12th meeting of the Tailings Technical Board.
KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR TAILINGS MANAGEMENT PLAN
- The Doce River Basin was divided into 17 sections, considering the level of impact on each of them, such as degree of sedimentation, changes in the watercourse and damage to biodiversity.
- Eight types of tailings deposition were identified along the basin, defined based on the sediment layer thickness and the original soil composition.
- Decision making on the handling is based on the principle not to cause negative impacts to the environment. In that sense, there are two possible directions: to remove or keep the tailings where they are.
- For the removal, tailings extraction techniques were mapped that could be used, including excavation, dredging and manual removal in sensitive areas, such as the Bento Rodrigues area, in the Mariana district of Minas Gerais.
- Potential recovery models of the affected areas were also identified, such as the revegetation with grass, technique required for the subsequent planting of more robust species, and the conformation of the affected watercourses.