BHP Billiton has moved to allay fears following reports that mud and tailings from the Brazilian mine disaster are toxic.
BHP released a statement in Perth on Thursday saying the tailings that entered the Rio Doce river comprised clay and silt material from the washing and processing of earth containing iron ore, which is naturally abundant in the region.
The United Nations’ human rights agency released a statement overnight saying residue from the Samarco dam collapse contained high levels of toxic heavy metals and other chemicals.
The dam burst at the iron ore mine in Mariana earlier this month, killing 12 people, unleashing a torrent of muck on to the nearby village of Bento Rodrigues and contaminating drinking water in the region.
The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights cited “new evidence”, but did not say what studies were the basis for the evidence nor who had conducted them.
BHP Billiton and Brazil’s Vale SA jointly own the Samarco mine and have previously said the mud is not dangerous.
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