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BHP, Vale agree deal over 2015 Brazil dam collapse proceedings in UK

Australia's BHP on Friday reached a deal with Brazilian miner Vale to split equally the cost of any damages associated with proceedings in Britain over a 2015 dam collapse that killed 19 people, while denying liability for related claims.

BHP Group (UK) Ltd and its parent BHP are accuseds to a. group action claim in the English High Court, brought by more. than 600,000 claimants seeking damages for the Fundão Dam. failure in 2015.

BHP and Vale will each pay 50% of any amount possibly. payable to the plaintiffs in the UK procedures, the Netherlands. procedures, and others in Brazil covered in the agreement, the. company stated on Friday.

It reinforces the framework agreement checked in 2016 for BHP. Brasil and Vale to each contribute 50% to the financing of the. Renova Structure, which was set up to ensure full and fair. remediation for the damages brought on by the dam collapse.

BHP thinks the English Procedures are unnecessary. because they replicate matters already covered by the existing. and ongoing work of the Renova Structure and legal proceedings. in Brazil, the company stated.

BHP will continue to protect the UK procedures and does not. think about that it is liable to the related plaintiffs, it included.

More than 720,000 Brazilians are suing the two business. over the collapse of the dam, which was owned and run by. their Samarco joint endeavor.

In March, a brand-new claim was filed versus Vale and the Dutch. subsidiary of Samarco in the Netherlands in which BHP is not a. defendant, BHP stated.

Considering that the UK procedures were not brought against Vale, BHP. had applied for a contribution claim versus Vale in December. 2022, which has actually now been withdrawn due to the brand-new arrangement.

The impact of the agreement is that must BHP ultimately. be discovered to have any liability to the plaintiffs in the UK. claims, or should Vale ultimately be discovered to have any liability. to the plaintiffs in the Netherlands, such liability would be. shared similarly between BHP and Vale, Vale said in a different. declaration.

(source: Reuters)