The Renova Foundation has been following the historical increase in rainfall volume in recent days and its effects in the municipalities where it operates in Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo.
According to data from water monitoring carried out by the Renova Foundation at 92 points in the Doce River Basin, of which 22 are automatic collections, including towns such as Governador Valadares (MG), Linhares and Colatina (ES), the current level of turbidity is similar to observed in the rainy seasons since 2016/2017 and below the levels seen in the post-collapse period.
This rainy season, turbidity levels returned to the range below the alert level (1,050NTU), as shown in the graph below. At the time of the Fundao dam collapse, in November 2015, turbidity in Governador Valadares reached 2,604.3NTU. In the recent rainy season, marked by historical rainfall volumes, the average level of turbidity in this town in Minas Gerais is 120.7NTU.
The graph shows comparative turbidity data that refer to the emergency period (relative to the period of the collapse, 2015/2016).
The Renova Foundation informs that, according to the Consolidation Report of Human Health Risk Assessment Studies (ARSH), released last December, there are no metals resulting from the Fundao dam collapse that represent toxicological risk to human health. Therefore, there is no limitation on agricultural activities or water consumption (provided it is treated) or the need to evacuate residents in the Mariana and Barra Longa region.
On January 13, the judge of the 12th Federal Court approved the Integrated Environmental Management for Health and Environment (Gaisma) as an instrument for carrying out new studies to assess the risk to human health and the ecological risk in all municipalities affected by the Fundao dam collapse.
Currently, about 70 professionals hired by the Foundation – including physicians, nurses, social workers and psychologists – are working in Mariana and Barra Longa to assist the local population. In addition to direct support actions for health services in the municipalities, proposals are discussed to strengthen the response to toxicology related demands with the government of Minas Gerais.
On the agenda are initiatives such as the improvement of regional public laboratories, training of health professionals in the affected municipalities, review of the toxicological assessment protocol for metals and the implementation of an environmental monitoring and rehabilitation plan.
Additional studies are also being discussed in the Technical Board of Health to deepen the analyses in Mariana and Barra Longa.
Click here to check out the Renova Foundation’s preventative actions.
And here, for solutions that were applied by the Renova Foundation for tailings management.