Speechless

The tide of mud engulfed the local community, part of the company’s offices and the lunchroom (...) The warning sirens did not sound ¹. Vale’s CEO says they did not sound because they were ‘covered’ in mud ². [But] there is technology for emergency sound warnings to be triggered under any circumstances ¹. [It has subsequently been found that] at least two warning sirens (...) are intact ³.

It was 12:28 pm ³. The victims were in the lunchroom and the company’s offices of the tailings dam ⁴, where it is estimated that most of them died ⁵. [Up to date there are] 165 confirmed deaths, 160 identified bodies; 155 missing ⁶.

The mining company was aware of risks at the dam ⁷. Upstream tailings dams are considered to be more fragile because they use the tailing itself as a barrier instead of an external concrete structure ⁸. The method is the simplest and least safe ... It is cheaper ¹. The inspection identified a number of problems, but a safety declaration was issued anyway ⁸. The report mentions erosion and drainage problems ⁵. [Despite this] Vale maintains that there were no signs of risk of dam collapse (...), an argument not considered credible by the Justice of Minas Gerais ⁸.

Brazil has not advanced in dam inspection, experts say. The monitoring did not improve significantly after Mariana’s tragedy. Experts say the 2010 federal law on National Dam Safety Policy still needs to be implemented ⁹: There is a lack of supervision and effective indemnification of projects and enterprises of large size and risk, where specific interests often prevail over the law. These high-risk projects need, in addition to licensing, a differentiated monitoring of the areas likely to be affected, instructing possible and / or necessary measures, actions and prevention works ¹⁰.

[To make matters worse], the Agência Nacional de Mineração - ANM (National Mining Agency) does not have the capacity to inspect the 740 mining dams ¹¹. The country has only 35 field inspectors (...) and the risk is potentially higher if there is no inspection ¹². The federal control body is the second most exposed to fraud and corruption, says the Tribunal de Contas - TCU (Federal Court of Audit) ¹³.

[As if that were not enough] lawmakers received donations from companies, but deny defending the sector. The Brazilian Congress “mud” benchers block actions to improve dam safety. A small troop of Congressmen elected to the past legislature with donations from mining companies is very active in the affairs of the sector: it proposes changes in texts that have already resulted in withdrawal of inspection, occupy key posts in commissions and influence what happens in the Deputies Chamber ¹⁴.

The succession of preventable tragedies that struck Brazil in recent weeks has created a chorus of citizens demanding more oversight. There is no doubt that oversight is important, fundamental in some areas. But madness to think that it is enough to put more agents in the streets demanding obedience to the technical norms to solve our security deficit. For a society to succeed, people need to be convinced that we must act in a manner that respects security standards, not because we run the risk of being fined - “having the duty to do the right thing” - if it is acceptable to use the

Kantian terminology - but because of “a sense of duty, “that is, because this is the rational position to follow, the one that serves our real interests ¹⁵.

This is the principle of acting ethically. The golden rule of bioethics is to promote ethics applied to everyday life. It is this reflection that Revista Bioética seeks to stimulate in its readers, thus collaborating in citizen education.

The editors

Referências

• ¹
  Presidente da Vale diz que sirene de alerta não tocou em Brumadinho porque foi “engolfada” pela lama. G1 [Internet]. Minas Gerais; 31 jan 2019 16h31 [acesso 10 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://glo.bo/2DMLneM
  » https://glo.bo/2DMLneM
• ²
  Lobel F, Barbon J. Sirenes em Brumadinho estão intactas, ao contrário de discurso inicial da Vale. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Cotidiano, Tragédia em Brumadinho; 6 fev 2019 12h [acesso 12 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2UIydEY
  » https://bit.ly/2UIydEY
• ³
  Lima R. Novo vídeo mostra momento exato do estouro da barragem de Brumadinho. Metrópoles [Internet]. Brasil; 1º fev 2019 14h59 [acesso 11 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2DGUHzl
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• ⁴
  Vettorazzo L, Pamplona N, Amâncio T. Em documento, Vale projetou mortes, custos e até causas possíveis de colapso. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Cotidiano, Tragédia em Brumadinho; 13 fev 2019 2h [acesso 13 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2UWj1UX
  » https://bit.ly/2UWj1UX
• ⁵
  Zylberkan M, Amâncio T. Laudo de estabilidade de barragem da Vale cita erosão e problemas de drenagem. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Cotidiano, Tragédia em Brumadinho; 4 fev 2019 20h10 [acesso 11 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2Go7bPu
  » https://bit.ly/2Go7bPu
• ⁶
  Tragédia em Brumadinho: 165 mortes confirmadas, 160 corpos identificados; 155 desaparecidos. G1 [Internet]. Minas Gerais; 11 fev 2019 12h22 [acesso 12 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://glo.bo/2FZt8E9
  » https://glo.bo/2FZt8E9
• ⁷
  Bom Dia Brasil. Documentos indicam que Vale sabia das chances de rompimento da barragem de Brumadinho desde 2017. G1 [Internet]. Minas Gerais; 12 fev 2019 9h27 [acesso 12 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://glo.bo/2Sqrseg
  » https://glo.bo/2Sqrseg
• ⁸
  Jucá B. Inspeção apontou problemas na barragem da Vale, mas laudo de segurança foi emitido mesmo assim. El País [Internet]. Rompimento de Barragem; 6 fev 2019 0h16 [acesso 10 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2SA17KP
  » https://bit.ly/2SA17KP
• ⁹
  Estarque M, Gomes P. Brasil não avançou em fiscalização de barragens, dizem especialistas. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Cotidiano, Tragédia em Brumadinho; 25 jan 2019 22h14 [acesso 13 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2UliFa7
  » https://bit.ly/2UliFa7
• ¹⁰
  Muñoz R. O que podemos aprender com a catástrofe de Brumadinho. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Colunas e blogs; 12 fev 2019 2h [acesso 13 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2IeJcEW
  » https://bit.ly/2IeJcEW
• ¹¹
  Zylberkan M, Amâncio T. Com falhas, fiscalização fica só a cargo de mineradoras. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Cotidiano, Tragédia em Brumadinho; 9 fev 2019 2h [acesso 12 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2BzgIA4
  » https://bit.ly/2BzgIA4
• ¹²
  Jansen R, Girardi G. País tem apenas 35 fiscais de barragem de mineração. Terra [Internet]. Cidades; 30 jan 2019 7h52 [acesso 12 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2WvAaWZ
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• ¹³
  Passarinho N. Fiscalização de barragens: órgão federal de controle é o 2º mais exposto a fraudes e corrupção, diz TCU. Terra [Internet]. Brasil; 13 fev 2019 11h25 [acesso 13 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2GFuuV1
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• ¹⁴
  Turollo R Jr, Estarque M. Bancada da lama barra ações para melhorar segurança em barragens. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Cotidiano, Tragédia em Brumadinho; 3 fev 2019 2h [acesso 12 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2RAFlBe
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• ¹⁵
  Schwartsman H. Fiscalização não é a solução. Folha de S. Paulo [Internet]. Colunas e blogs; 12 fev 2019 2h [acesso 12 fev 2019]. Disponível: https://bit.ly/2BF1wkN
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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  21 Feb 2019
• Date of issue
  Jan-Mar 2019