Catastrophe in Minas Gerais. Could it be avoided?
Possibly, yes: both its occurrence as well as its consequences. Specially, the loss of human lives. With an adequate ERM (Enterprise Risk Management) system.
In a mine water is always a problem: sometimes because it is missing and almost always because it is too much. The recent accident of the breaking of a dam at the Bento Rodrigues iron mine, in Minas Gerais (Brazil), is one of the second. Too much rain, too much water. Sadly, it is also the second time it happens. From the previous, in 2015, the media say that Samarco (Vale and BHP Billiton) was the only responsible for the worst environmental disaster in history in Latin America. The fines imposed by these huge damages, although very onerous, they re-establish neither the damage caused nor the lives lost. The polluter pays formula is no longer valid.
Investors are responisble
How is it possible that such a disaster occur again? Laws and justice, not only in Brazil but in most countries, have not changed in these four years; But investors should have. They have an enormous responsibility. They have the duty to demand from their boards of directors that «Nunca mais» (nevermore). This discipline of business sciences is called Compliance. It deals with hundreds of formulas to prevent and mitigate risks. The dividend of a good company is not simply measured in monetary terms. How much is a human life worth? From here we would like to express our deepest feellings to the families of the 65 deceased and to those of the 279 people who do not appear at the end.
At Blacktogreen we believe that, with current technology and accumulated learning, there should not be a single mine that does not know the real risks of its activity for the communities, for the workers and for the environment. The risks are, for the most part, measurable. And, from here, both the probability of occurrence and the consequences are almost always mitigable and, sometimes, even avoidable. In any case, they are always manageable. And, if they are not, the activity ought not continue.
ERM for Enterprise Risk Management
The ERM (Enterprise Risk Management) methodology is, first of all, practice. With its implementation, the main risks are identified and evaluated to avoid human losses or damage to health, mitigate environmental damages and reduce the costs associated with a potential environmental damage of occupational safety. BlacktoGreen has been working in this discipline for a long time and can help you with your ERM.
Among the environmental benefits provided by an ERM are: identification of the main environmental risks for mitigation, adequate management of soil and hazardous waste, minimizing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, reducing the risk of damage to the ecosystem, correct organic waste from the mine, more accurate environmental impact assessments and decrease of work accidents related to risks to the environment.
Can we help you?
Please ask us how can we help you. We would be happy to do it. [Contact]