Adds in 2nd paragraph comments from Vale on containment and statement from Congonhas on operating permits and fines
Brazilian miner Vale confirmed an overflow occurred in a pit at its Fabrica mine, in Ouro Preto, in Minas Gerais state, early on 25 January.
A second overflow occurred less than 24 hours later at Vale's Viga mine in the nearby municipality of Congonhas, the company later reported. Both overflows have been contained by Monday evening, Vale said.
Vale's slurry reached streams in Congonhas, the city hall said.
The water also flooded miner and steelmaker CSN's facilities near the mine, including a loading area, CSN mining division said on 25 January. CSN's mining containment structures are operating normally, the company said, but it has not disclosed whether the incident will affect output.
Congonhas authorities will fine the company and temporarily suspend its operating permit in the municipality until it provides clearer information on the damage caused by the incident and commits to faster and more transparent communication in the event of accidents, they said.
Notifications about the incidents were sent to authorities only several hours after it occurred, municipal authorities said.
Neither incident is related to any dams in the region, all of which remain stable and under continuous monitoring, Vale said. It remains unclear whether these events will impact production.
Vale was involved in a major mining disaster in the same region on 25 January 2019. The collapse of the Corrego do Feijao tailings dam in Brumadinho, also in Minas Gerais, killed over 270 people and caused extensive environmental damage.
