Brazilian Vale has discovered ground vibration near a hillside near the Gongo Soco mine in Minas Gerais state.
The ground movements can lead to a displacement of the slope and affect a nearby mine. In the worst case, the vibrations could trigger a dam break like the catastrophic dam failure that occurred in January this year.
The mining pond Sul Superior is 1.5 kilometres away, but in a press release yesterday, May 16, Vale assures that "the open pit and the pond are monitored during the 24 hours of the day".
According to Vale, the most likely scenario is that the movements and the "possible displacement" of the slope are "naturally absorbed by the open pit". Vale nevertheless warns for the worst scenario - a dam failure - and assures that the public will be kept informed about event-developed via local radio and other media.
