THE CASE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM AT THE FUNDÃO DAM RUPTURE

Abstract

The increase of technological environmental disasters in Brazil have been worsening in recent decades, impacting a significant number of victims, mainly due to the several human rights violations and lack of commitment from the operating companies as well as from the State. As per the lens of the sociology of disasters, progressive neo-extractivism categories, and environmental racism, this article assesses the Fundão dam rupture, which occurred on November 5, 2015, in Bento Rodrigues/MG, and is considered the largest environmental disaster event ever occurred in Brazil. The main objective of this article is to evaluate how this event unfolded, with a clear focus on key developments as part of the emergency response and remediation actions: the creation of the Renova Foundation and the Federative Governance (State response). A qualitative methodology was adopted with the use of literature review, with emphasis on the contributions of Valêncio, Giddens, Gudynas, Martínez-Alier and Acselrad, the Fundão dam rupture case study and documentation analysis, and reports from the victims. All reports from the victims were obtained from the document Ata de Audiência Pública em Barra Longa (PR-MG-00000261/2020). This article concludes that the Renova Foundation, an organization created as a part of response to this event and to support the victims impacted by the disaster, was just a representative of the interests and conveniences of the mining company. Likewise, the accusations of environmental racism were found to be valid. It actually started when selecting the location for the dam.