Landmark Ruling Paves Way for Massive BHP Damages Payout in UK Court
A high court ruling in London has found global mining giant BHP Group liable for the devastating 2015 Brazilian dam collapse that left a trail of destruction and toxic waste in its wake. The disaster, which claimed 19 lives and devastated villages downstream, was sparked by the rupture of a tailings dam owned by Samarco, 50% of which is controlled by BHP.
The high court's judgment, penned by Mrs Justice O'Farrell, held that BHP was responsible for the collapse, despite not owning the dam at the time. The ruling, which spans over 200 pages, deemed the risk of the dam failing "foreseeable" and noted that "obvious signs" had been ignored.
The devastating consequences of the disaster are still being felt today, with the Doce River - a major waterway revered by the Krenak Indigenous people as a deity - yet to recover from the toxic sludge released during the collapse. The ruling brings 600,000 Brazilians one step closer to securing compensation for damages estimated at over £36 billion.
BHP has vowed to appeal the decision and defend itself against the UK group action, while Samarco, which is also half-owned by Vale, had already reached a multibillion-dollar settlement with Brazil's federal government just days before the trial began. The agreement meant that Samarco would pay 132 billion reais (£19 billion) over two decades to compensate for human, environmental, and infrastructure damage.
The UK court ruling has significant implications for BHP and its Brazilian operations, as it opens the door for further compensation claims in the country. As the second phase of the trial determines damages, the fate of millions of Brazilians hangs in the balance.
A high court ruling in London has found global mining giant BHP Group liable for the devastating 2015 Brazilian dam collapse that left a trail of destruction and toxic waste in its wake. The disaster, which claimed 19 lives and devastated villages downstream, was sparked by the rupture of a tailings dam owned by Samarco, 50% of which is controlled by BHP.
The high court's judgment, penned by Mrs Justice O'Farrell, held that BHP was responsible for the collapse, despite not owning the dam at the time. The ruling, which spans over 200 pages, deemed the risk of the dam failing "foreseeable" and noted that "obvious signs" had been ignored.
The devastating consequences of the disaster are still being felt today, with the Doce River - a major waterway revered by the Krenak Indigenous people as a deity - yet to recover from the toxic sludge released during the collapse. The ruling brings 600,000 Brazilians one step closer to securing compensation for damages estimated at over £36 billion.
BHP has vowed to appeal the decision and defend itself against the UK group action, while Samarco, which is also half-owned by Vale, had already reached a multibillion-dollar settlement with Brazil's federal government just days before the trial began. The agreement meant that Samarco would pay 132 billion reais (£19 billion) over two decades to compensate for human, environmental, and infrastructure damage.
The UK court ruling has significant implications for BHP and its Brazilian operations, as it opens the door for further compensation claims in the country. As the second phase of the trial determines damages, the fate of millions of Brazilians hangs in the balance.
like what if they had just done some basic safety checks? i'm glad the UK court found them liable tho 
600 million ppl getting compensation sounds amazing but i'm also thinking about all the villages that still need help rebuilding 
and isnt this related to some other mining thing in australia too bhp has a lot of operations all over the world 
, i mean they own half of samarco but still they dont care about the environment 
. wonder if bhp will really appeal this decision or just hide behind their lawyers 
but now its like we're seeing justice being served for the first time 
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so 600k people are gonna get paid out tho which is pretty cool i guess 
does anyone know how that gets divided among all those ppl? 
The fact that BHP's got liability for the 2015 dam collapse in Brazil is just wild 
. Can't wait to see how this second phase of trial goes down 
. 600,000 Brazilians are going to get some justice 
, and that's something no amount of money can buy. I mean, what kind of company ignores obvious signs of a dam failure? It's like they thought they were above the law 
. The fact that Samarco settled with Brazil just days before the trial is just a slap in the wrist compared to what's happening here 
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. We need companies like BHP to be held to higher standards and take responsibility for their actions 
. This ruling is a step in the right direction 
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The UK court just ruled that BHP is responsible for the devastating dam collapse in Brazil?! 
I mean, 19 lives lost and a whole ecosystem destroyed... it's crazy! 
And now they're gonna pay out £36 billion to the people affected? 
I'm so glad that justice is finally being served. BHP needs to step up and take responsibility for their actions! 
. I just want to see some real justice served and compensation for all the people who lost their homes and livelihoods because of this disaster 
. And Samarco was already settlin with Brazil's gov for like 19 billion... meanwhile, the river's still toxic and people are sufferin 
. It's just so frustrating 
19 lives lost & a whole ecosystem destroyed 
i'm so hyped 2 see justice being served even tho it's taken like 10 yrs 2 get here 
bhp is gonna appeal but it's already too late for them imo they should've been held accountable from da start 
those bhp folks were dodging responsibility for ages 
they knew their dam was gonna blow and still did nothing about it 
and now 600k brazilians are getting some kinda compensation 
it's so sad to think about the families of the victims who will never see justice served 
and now BHP is gonna appeal? come on guys, can't they just pay up? 
. But this ruling also raises questions about corporate accountability... just like with BP after Deepwater Horizon