BHP Finally Liable For Mariana Dam Disaster, Eight Years Later
BHP has finally been found liable for the 2015 Mariana dam disaster, which killed 19 people and unleashed a torrent of toxic waste across hundreds of miles of Brazilian landscape. The FT calls this a 'major moment,' which one might interpret as 'multinational corporation forced to acknowledge its actions after years of legal wrangling.' The dam, co-owned by BHP and Brazil's Vale, had its safety
warnings ignored, according to multiple reports then and now. The true scandal isn't just the catastrophe itself, but the almost decade-long fight for victims to receive any semblance of justice. This isn't an isolated incident for the extractive industry, nor is it merely 'negligence.' This is precisely how the game is played: extract profits, externalize costs, fight accountability tooth and
nail. While BHP's legal teams were busy for eight years, entire ecosystems were destroyed and communities displaced, with lives permanently altered.