Samarco is a 50/50 joint-venture iron-ore operation between Vale and BHP and is operated independently by Samarco Mineração. 

In November 2015, the Fundão dam failed. 19 people died and the communities of Bento Rodrigues, Paracatu de Baixo and Gesteira were flooded. Other communities and the environment downstream in the Rio Doce basin were also affected. BHP was quick to respond and committed to proving Samarco with the support needed for the response effort. 

BHP Brasil has been and remains fully committed to supporting the extensive ongoing remediation and compensation efforts through Fundação Renova (Renova Foundation) in Brasil. Fundação Renova  is the organisation set-up by Samarco, Vale and BHP Brasil to manage the reparation actions. Renova oversees 42 programs covering compensation and financial assistance, resettlement, environmental repair and supporting infrastructure.

BHP Brasil’s provision for the Samarco dam failure will be US$6.5 billion as at 31 December 2023.

The reparations (to December 2023):

• 430,000 people received compensation and / or financial assistance;
• Over US$7.2 billion in total distributed in remediation and compensation actions;
• US$3.4 billion in compensation and financial assistance paid to people
• 84% of resettlement cases complete;
• 220 families moved into new homes;