Vale and the Brazilian state of Para have moved closer to an agreement that could allow the miner to resume operations at its Onca Puma nickel mine, reported Reuters.
Onca Puma, which has an estimated annual nominal capacity of 27,000 metric tons, had its operating license suspended earlier this year after Para’s environment department flagged irregularities in an annual environmental report. The state also cited “non-compliance” on mining mitigation efforts that it said resulted in conflicts with local communities.
Vale, which the news agency noted has maintained it did not see signs of environmental or social breaches at the mine, brought the matter to the courts and the parties had a conciliation hearing before Brazil’s Supreme Court on May 27.
The hearing concluded with both Vale and the state signaling they are willing to find a way to resolve the stalemate. “The state’s top prosecutor will take the referrals from this hearing to the governor for the purpose of analyzing the resumption of Vale’s activities,” the minutes said, adding a further meeting is expected to take place on June 20.
Source: Reuters