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The Attorney General of the Union (AGU) filed, last Thursday (24/7), at the Federal Regional Court of the 6th Region (TRF6), action against the mining company Vale S.A, charging 2 billion for damages caused to public assets. The process, conducted by the Union Regional Prosecutors Office of the 6th Region (PLA6), deals with irregular exploitation in the Mine of Tamandua, in Nova Lima (MG).
The area unduly occupied corresponds to approximately 66.5 thousand square meters of land belonging to the Union - equivalent to approximately nine football fields - and reserved for the installation of a pipeline operated by Vale itself. Although the company is allowed to use the site for this purpose, the mineral mining in the region is prohibited.
However, technical and geospatial images produced by the Brazil Geological Service (CPRM) proved the occurrence of ore extraction in the area, which characterizes misuse of public good. The mining company itself recognized the removal and commercialization of the ore. As the natural resource cannot be returned to the Union, the only form of reparation is financial compensation for damage caused.
According to the regional prosecutor of the Union, Joao Batista Vilela Toledo, of the Regional Coordination of Heritage and Environment (Corepam), the mining company extrapolated the authorized limits and advanced on the Servitude zone, an area intended exclusively for the installation of equipment, where extraction is prohibited. Since the creation of Corepam, we have sought to take care of companies that carry out illegal mining in Minas Gerais, ensuring compensation to the Union and protecting the environment, he said.
Union lawyer Karina Bragio, who signed the action, stressed that the initiative reaffirms AGUs commitment to environmental protection and the liability of those who illegally exploit natural resources. Our duty is to ensure that damage caused to public property is not unpunished and that those responsible arise with the costs of degradation, he said.
The process is the result of the joint work of PLA6 and inspection agencies. In addition to financial compensation, the action also has a pedagogical character, discouraging similar conduct by other companies, said the regional coordinator of Heritage and Environment of PR6 Adriano Campos Cruz.
What is illegal mining
The illegal mall of ore occurs when the extraction of resources is made without authorization from the National Mining Agency (ANM) and the competent environmental agencies, such as the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) or State and Municipal Secretariats of Environment. The most common irregularities include absence of authorizing title, extrapolation of mining boundaries and disrespect for environmental and equity protection rules.
Process: 6289951-82.2025.4.06.3800
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