"Miner BHP potentially faces $44 bln bill in Brazil dam case", 15 March 2023

...Mining group BHP Group is potentially facing a 36 billion pound ($44 billion) lawsuit in London over Brazil's worst environmental disaster after the number of claimants more than tripled to 700,000, their lawyers said on Wednesday.

BHP was initially sued by around 200,000 Brazilians over the 2015 collapse of the Fundao dam, owned by the Samarco joint venture between BHP and Brazilian iron ore mining company Vale.

The disaster killed 19 people as more than 40 million cubic metres of mud and toxic mining waste swept into the Doce river, obliterating villages and reaching the Atlantic Ocean more than 650 km (400 miles) away.

BHP, the world's biggest miner by market value, denies liability and in December applied to join Vale to the case. Vale said in a statement at the time that it "intends to contest any alleged liability".

BHP has said the London lawsuit duplicates legal proceedings and reparation and repair programmes in Brazil. BHP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Vale declined to comment.

Lawyers representing the claimants said on Wednesday that the number of claimants had increased to more than 700,000, pushing the potential bill if the claimants were successful to $44 billion, including interest...