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8/16/2019 Eng Assignment Disaster
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ENGINEERING DISASTER – Disruption of Mariana’s barrage
Engineering Disaster - Disruption of Mariana’s barrage
Felipe Vieira Camargo
ID - 200369165
University of Regina
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Abstract
In this paper will be described as Samarco dam in the municipality of Minas Mariana, Minas,
Brazil, broke and what were the damages of these disaster of engineering for the Brazilian nation.
You can also see what are the impacts of this disaster on the lives of people who lived in the town
of Mariana and the region. In addition, this paper describes the environmental impacts, the punitive
measures for those responsible for dam construction, the measures being taken to mitigate the
disaster and also discussed the assumptions that led to this dam to break and the the what could be
done so that this tragedy did not occur.
Keys words: Mariana, barrage, disaster.
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ENGINEERING DISASTER – Disruption of Mariana’s barrage
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 CONCEPTUAL CLAFICATION……………………………………………………..1
1.3 METHODOLOGICAL STATEMENT ....................................................................... 1 2. ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................. 2
2.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION .............................................................................. 2 2.2 POINT BY POINT ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 2
2.2.1 THE ACIDENT .......................................................................................................... 2 2.2.2 ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT ................................................................................... 3 2.2.3 AFFECTED POPULATION ..................................................................................... 5 2.2.4 WHO IS ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE DISASTER?.................... ...........7
2.2.5 WHAT KIND OF FINES CAB NE APPLIED TO THE COMPANY? .................8
2.3 STRUCTURE OF ARGUMENT POINT……………………………………………….9
3. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 11 4. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 12
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 - Aerial images comparing the before and after the accident ........................................... 3
Figure 2 - Dead fish due to mud ..................................................................................................... 5
Figure 3 - Houses destroyed by the dam breaking account ............................................................ 7
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ENGINEERING DISASTER – Disruption of Mariana’s barrage 1
1.Introduction
On November 5 in a small town in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, Mariana, one Samarco
Company barrage broke and decimated several cities, killing people, animals, and pollute many
rivers and much of Brazilian oceanic coast. In addition to affecting the fauna, flora and local
population, the region's economy has been badly damaged as well, as is the river where many
families take the daily food. In addition, many people lost their jobs after the accident because
Samarco had to terminate its activities in the region due to the disaster occurred.
1.1 - Problem statements
In this article will be investigated the reasons that led to the barrage to break and what could be
done in order to avoid this kind of tragedy.
1.2 - Conceptual clarification
Mariana-MG is considered a big engineering disaster because the dams were breached due to
several factors. Besides being considered a natural disaster, the disruption of dams Samarco is a
major disaster of engineering. engineering disaster is meant by a failure calculation, storage,
communication, disposal or negligence which results in destruction and often leading to innocent
deaths.
1.3 - Methodological statement
Initially a broad literature search in order to better assimilate the concepts about the subject and
then, based on state of the art proposed theme characterized the problem. Concurrently held the
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ENGINEERING DISASTER – Disruption of Mariana’s barrage 2
survey data that, through research on the internet, newspapers and magazines, collected data is
necessary to conduct a further investigation of what happened in the disaster Mariana in Minas
Gerais, Brazil.
2. Analysis
2.1 - Background information
According to Santos, on November 5, 2015, the Fundão ( the name of the barrage ) dam
Samarco mining company controlled by Vale and BHP Billiton, broke up, causing a great flood
of mud. The sludge devastated Bento Rodrigues district in the municipality of Mariana, in Minas
Gerais, destroying homes and causing the death of people, including residents and own mining
officials. In addition to the human and material losses, the mud that escaped due to dam break
caused a serious environmental impact.
2.2 – Analysis point by point
2.2.1 - The accident
According to Gonçalves, Fusco and Vespa, was after 16 hours when a deafening noise
interrupted on 5 November, the quiet routine of Bento Rodrigues district, in the mining town of
Mariana. There followed then a cloud of dust and fluttering birds. The villagers realized that
there was something wrong. Within minutes, shouts and horns took to the streets: the wave of
mud approached. There was only time to run. Documents, money, clothes, stories - all left
behind. Bento Rodrigues was wiped off the map. Not all had time to escape. Ten people were
killed and at least eighteen are missing. The disaster was caused by the breakup of two tailings
dams - waste resulting from the exploitation of iron ore - Samarco mining company located five
kilometers from the district. Without the phones worked, the solidarity of residents of the district
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prevented the tragedy ceifasse even more lives. Weeks later Samarco confirmed that only a dam
had broken and not two as initially reported, but the death toll rose to 15 deaths and more than 40
missing, according to Gonçalves, Fusco and Vespa.
Figure 1: Aerial images comparing the before and after the accident. Source: Globalgeo / DigitalGlobe
2.2.2 - Environmental Impact
Disruption of the Fundão dam released the equivalent of 25,000 Olympic swimming pools of
waste. The mixture, which was composed according Samarco, an iron oxide, water and mud, is
not toxic, but can cause extensive damage.
The release of the mud will cause the paving of a large area. This will happen because the dried
mud form a kind of cement, where nothing grows. It is worth noting, however, that, given the
large amount of waste, the complete drying of the material may take decades. Meanwhile,
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nothing can also be built on the site. In addition, the material contains no organic matter, being
thus infertile.
The mud flood reached the Rio Gualaxo - Carmo River tributary, which flows into the Rio Doce,
which, in turn, goes towards the Atlantic Ocean, in the Holy Spirit. The more perceptive impact
on the aquatic environment was the death of thousands of fish that perished as a result of lack of
oxygen in the water and clogging their gills. In addition to the death of fish, micro-organisms and
other living things they were also affected, which completely destroyed the food chain in some
affected environments. Many biologists estimate that Rio Doce need, on average, 10 years to
recover from the terrible impact.
It is not only the death of living organisms that affect the rivers of the region, the amount of
released sludge can cause siltation, diversion of watercourses and even bury springs. Some rivers
may also become shallower due to the deposition of mud.
In addition to causing death within the rivers, the mud has killed all the vegetation close to the
region. A large amount of riparian vegetation was completely destroyed. Mining waste can also
affect the soil, causing the chemical breakdown and affecting the pH of the soil. This change in
soil hinders the development of species living there, completely modifying the local vegetation.
Like mud affected the Sweet river and goes towards the Holy Spirit, it is expected that, upon
reaching the coast, have an impact on at least three marine conservation areas. Many experts fear
the arrival of waste on the reefs of the Abrolhos reef, the region with the highest marine
biodiversity in Brazil.
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Figure 2: Dead fish due to mud. Source: G1.com
2.2.3 - Affected Population
Besides the large number of people who lost their homes and other possessions in Mariana, the
survivors face difficulties, mainly related to lack of water. This happens because most of the
affected cities depended on the affected rivers to supply, which now feature water unfit for
consumption.
Not only is the population of Mariana suffering from the disaster consequences, because the
whole population near the river Doce are suffering from the damage to the river. Indians Indian
tribe Krenak, which have reserve cut by the river, are without water for drinking, bathing and
cleaning its objects, for example. One can not also forget all the people who withdrew from the
river sustenance for their families.
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The commitments signed by Samarco with the Public Prosecutor of Minas Gerais and Espirito
Santo predict a series of measures to try to reduce the problems of the affected populations. The
company says it has more than 400 professionals serving the communities and arranged for the
stay of 631 people homeless in hotels in Mariana. Some families begin to be transferred to rented
and furnished houses. Samarco also states that provides water, basic food, personal hygiene
items, material and cleaning equipment, school kits and animal feed to the affected people.
In cities like Governador Valadares and Colac (MG), which had temporarily suspended water
supply because of the mud passage, Samarco was required to provide drinking water, but the
distribution has generated complaints.
In Governador Valadares, the team from BBC Brazil found that residents waited for more than a
thousand people queuing to fill bottles, including the elderly. The mayor of the city, Elisa Costa,
said that Samarco has not sent enough drinking water, making it difficult to open more stations.
In response, the company confined itself to saying that sent more than 8.4 million liters of
drinking water to help supply the city and 500,000 liters of mineral water for the population.
A week after the disaster, on 13 November, President Dilma Rousseff changed the decree that
regulates the movement of the Service Time Guarantee Fund (FGTS), which is the right of
workers and can only be used in specific cases between they, natural disasters. The amendment
includes the natural disaster classification the "result of the disruption or collapse of dams that
causes mass movement, with damage to residential units." Thus, the affected workers may, if
they wish, withdraw up to R $ 6,220 fund for emergency use.
However, the measure has caused controversy and outrage in the Brazilian social networks,
which came to be considered a breach to Samarco can escape more severe punishment.
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Figure 3: Houses destroyed by the dam breaking account. Source: G1.com
2.2.4 - Who is assessing the impact of the disaster?
Environmental disaster of great proportions, it is common that there are several technical reports
being prepared simultaneously by different teams, according to Magrini. The challenge is to
coordinate these efforts and gather the data in order to estimate the size of the losses and the type
of compensation - cash and recovery actions - it will take charge of the company.
"The responsibility for making and unpaid is the company, but the federal and state governments
need an action plan to monitor their actions and to set up a study to assess the damage," he says.
Kleber Earth, Samarco, said the company has 162 points of water monitoring along the Rio Doce
and teams collecting samples, with "a number of mobilized companies."
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Ibama teams are also conducting their own measurements and analyzes throughout the length of
the river, according to the coordinator Fernanda Pirillo. Currently, there are at least five teams,
with about 20 technicians, divided as follows:
At least four people in Mariana, in crisis cabinet;
Two double walking the banks of the Rio Doce MG and ES, checking for wild or
domestic animals to be redeemed;
A team of five people in the Holy Spirit, guiding the rescue of native and rare species of
fish, which will be transferred to tanks and used in restocking;
Three technicians accompanying the mud retention efforts that Samarco is doing in the
Holy Spirit;
Five people doing aerial mapping of the affected region.
2.2.5 - What kind of fines can be applied to the company?
So far, Samarco was fined R $ 250 million by Ibama - five fines of R $ 50 million - but this is
just the first that the agency can apply.
Ibama can apply at least ten other penalties provided by law, ranging from daily fines up to
demand the closure of the company. According to the general coordinator of environmental
emergencies Ibama, Fernanda Pirillo, the agency already provides for the collection of a new fine
in the coming weeks for permanent preservation area of destruction on the banks of the Rio Doce
in Minas Gerais, whose value has not been determined . "It will depend on the size of the area
being calculated," he told BBC Brazil.
However, it is a challenge to ensure that the fines are paid, which does not always happen. "We
have good legislation and well advanced in relation to accountability, but we have an
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implementation problem," says Guetta. "About 97% of fines imposed by IBAMA are not paid by
offenders. It is a given shocking."
Samarco has 20 days to appeal against the payment of each of the five primary fines. After that,
if not met, may still submit a second appeal before having to finally make the payment. Asked by
BBC Brazil, the company has not said whether to pay or when he will. In a term proposed by the
prosecutor of Minas Gerais and signed by Samarco on 16 November, the company is committed
to create a fund of US $ 1 billion should be allocated to emergency action in the state. The term
does not specify what those actions, but says the company will have to prove that the money is
being spent on "prevention, containment, mitigation, reparation and compensation of
environmental or environmental damage." The fine provided for non-compliance of these
measures on their terms is $ 200 000 per day.
2.3 - Structure of an argument point
As the tragedy is still very recent, since the dam break was in November 2015, it took four
months and the investigations have not been completed, but there are several hypotheses
according to environmentalists and experts. Earthquake: the 14h12 the Seismology Center of
USP recorded earthquake in the city of Catas Altas, 33 km from Mariana. 14h 13 one second
concussion is recorded, this time in Ouro Preto, a city Mariana. 15:00 the dam begins to leak and
15h56 a third quake is recorded in Ouro Preto and fourth concussion occurs in Barão de Cocais
(Mariana 50km). All had magnitude below 3, being too weak to be felt on the ground.
But here we have to take into consideration what the seismographs detected was actually the dam
burst and its billions of liters of water moving.
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- Raising of the Dam: The dam is designed to be one way, but successive enlargements
eventually cause its collapse. At the time of the disaster, the dam was under construction to raise
it again. These extensions could have excessive high level of sedimentation of waste. The higher,
more critical was the dam. Over the past 15 years it has accelerated extraction, dictating new
expansions to accommodate disposal of mineral extraction. Samarco passed the security point,
entered a very high risk category, with authorization and public oversight. The responsibility is
not only of who runs, but of who authorizes and supervises. For Professor Rosemary Gomes, the
Ufop (Federal University of Ouro Preto), tailings dams, such as Mariana, they are always in the
works, formed in a dike on the other. "She may suffer a kind of internal drainage that leads to
rupture."
- Liquefaction: The main hypothesis by technicians, however, it is that occurred the liquefaction
process, which is when this external sandy layer, rather than expelling retains water. A sudden
change in pressure inside the waste tank can then turn sand into mud, which can no longer
contain residues that are behind. That would explain the disruption of Fundão dam - which
devastated the Santarém and everything else that lay ahead ..
- Increased production: Samarco increased its production by more than 15% last year,
corresponding to about 25 million tons of ore. Consequently the tailings volumes released in
dams also increased. A breakup might have happened if they were not necessary Readjustments
made dams to receive an increase in the volume of waste. The probable causes are many, but we
are for now only speculation. Responsibility for the incident will have on the Samarco mining,
according to the professor at the State University of Londrina and consultant in Mining and
Environment, Cleuber Moraes Brito. Scrapped and no infrastructure, Brazilian environmental
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agencies do not satisfactorily fulfill their role and share responsibility for disasters such as the
Mariana.
3 - Conclusion
The destruction of Samarco dam in the municipality of Mariana, Minas Gerais, was considered
one of the greatest disasters ever occurred in Brazil and in addition, the episode Mariana-MG
was also considered the worst incidents involving the breaking of a dam in the world.
To be an accident still early days, the investigations are still in progress, the technical reports are
being made and evaluated, to later take up appropriate measures in order to really know what the
real reason the dam was breaking. In addition, the investigation will show who were responsible
for Samarco dam break.
So far, there are only hypotheses indicating what really happened, which may have been
liquefaction, earthquakes, dam heightening and increased production. However, it seems, it was
the set of all these factors plus the fact the little supervision by the responsible regulatory
agencies.
The breaking of the dam could have been avoided if Samarco (the company responsible for
building the dam) had been keen to filter the waste trapped at the dam. However, a filter can
endear up to six times the cost of dam construction and therefore the miners prefer to run the risk
of not placing the filter, to maximize profits, but without any concern for the environment and
the population. Also, if there was surveillance more frequently, this great tragedy of engineering
could be avoided.
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4 – Rerefences
1- Brito, Cleuber Moraes. Probable causes of the breakup of the tailings dam in
Mariana / MG. Available at Accessed on February 20, 2016.
2- Gomes, Romero. The Mariana Disaster: The Biggest Environmental Disaster MG
and one of the biggest in Brazil. Available in
http://www.assombrado.com.br/2015/11/o-desastre-de-mariana-o-maior-desastre.html.
Accessed on February 17, 2016.
3-
Gonçalves, Eduardo. Fusco, Nicole. Vespa, Talyta. Understand how most modern
techniques of management of mining waste could have prevented the Bento
Rodrigues district was wiped off the map. Available at
. Accessed on
February 17, 2016.
4- Guetta . How are investigations Mariana disaster? Available at <
http://www.bbc.com/portuguese/noticias/2015/11/151117_mariana_investigacoes.cc.
>Accessed on February 18, 2016.
5- Pirillo, Fernanda. How are investigations Mariana disaster? Available at
Accessed on February 18, 2016.
6-
Santos, Vanessa Sardine Dos. "Environmental impacts of the accident in Mariana
(MG)"; Brazil School. Available at . Accessed on February 22, 2016.
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. Accessed on
February 17, 2016.
7- Terra, Kleber . How are investigations Mariana disaster? Available at
Accessed on February 18, 2016.
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