BHP Finally Liable in London, 10 Years After Brazilian Disaster
The Guardian hails a London judge's ruling that global mining giant BHP is finally liable for the 2015 Samarco dam disaster in Brazil, a catastrophe that killed 19 people and devastated ecosystems. (Imagine that, holding a powerful corporation accountable for destroying lives and livelihoods.) The original disaster, dubbed Brazil's 'worst environmental disaster,' saw tons of toxic waste unleashed,
but the legal labyrinth has taken a full ten years to point fingers at the company partially responsible, despite BHP not 'owning' the dam at the time. This case is a stark reminder of the leisurely pace of justice when corporate titans are implicated, especially for incidents occurring in the Global South. For the poor and Indigenous communities affected by these 'accidents,' 10 years is a
lifetime. For a multinational like BHP (whose revenue in 2023 was $53.8 billion), it's a minor inconvenience, finally addressed in a courthouse far from the actual devastation. One might wonder if this eventual accountability would have occurred as 'timely' if the dam had collapsed, say, in Kensington.