Brumadinho disaster: contributions to public policies and sanitation management in emergency periods
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE | ARTIGO ORIGINAL 221
Brumadinho disaster: contributions to
public policies and sanitation management in
emergency periods
Desastre de Brumadinho: contribuições para políticas públicas e
gestão do saneamento em períodos emergenciais
Deborah Chein Bueno de Azevedo1, Graziella de Araújo Toledo1, Simone Cynamon Cohen1,
Débora Cynamon Kligerman1, Telma Abdalla de Oliveira Cardoso1
DOI: 10.1590/0103-1104202012416
ABSTRACT This article aimed to analyze the vulnerability of post-disaster sanitation, adopting as a case
study the experience of Brumadinho, in the state of Minas Gerais, in January 2019. It was developed from
qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, carried out through documentary analysis and a case
study, through the collection of data published on institutional websites. The analysis of the components
took place after the critical reading, based on aspects relevant to the approach of the article. After as-
sessing the material collected it was concluded that the lack of urban planning as well as the precarious
investment in actions involving basic sanitation and the lack of inspection at the Córrego do Feijão dam
were determining factors in the outcome of the disaster. The mining company Vale S.A. did not have an
emergency plan, which could assist in the reduction of damages and in making post-disaster decisions.
Sanitation measures are essential to prevent the spread of diseases and thus minimize impacts on the
affected population. Disasters from mining areas underline the importance of stricter environmental
policies that promote healthy and safe environments.
KEYWORDS Disasters. Sanitation. Public policy. City planning.
RESUMO Este artigo objetivou analisar a vulnerabilidade do saneamento pós-desastre, adotando como
estudo de caso a experiência de Brumadinho, no estado de Minas Gerais, em janeiro de 2019. Desenvolveu-se
a partir da pesquisa qualitativa, de natureza descritiva e exploratória, realizada por meio de análise docu-
mental e de um estudo de caso, mediante coleta de dados publicados em sítios eletrônicos institucionais. A
análise dos componentes se deu depois da leitura crítica, pautada em aspectos relevantes para a abordagem
do artigo. Após a apreciação do material coletado, concluiu-se que a falta de planejamento urbano assim
como a precariedade de investimentos nas ações que envolvem o saneamento básico e a ausência de fiscali-
zação na barragem Córrego do Feijão foram fatores determinantes no desfecho do desastre. A mineradora
Vale S.A. não dispôs de um plano emergencial, que poderia auxiliar na redução dos danos e na tomada de
decisões pós-desastre. Medidas de saneamento são fundamentais para evitar a propagação de doenças e,
assim, minimizar os impactos na população atingida. Os desastres provenientes das áreas de mineração
acentuam a importância da adoção de políticas ambientais mais rígidas, que possibilitem a promoção de
ambientes saudáveis e mais seguros.
1 Fundação Oswaldo Cruz
(Fiocruz), Escola Nacional
de Saúde Pública Sergio PALAVRAS-CHAVE Desastres. Saneamento. Política pública. Planejamento de cidades.
Arouca (Ensp) – Rio de
Janeiro (RJ), Brasil.
deborahcbazevedo@gmail.
com
This article is published in Open Access under the Creative Commons Attribution
license, which allows use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, without
restrictions, as long as the original work is correctly cited. SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020222 Azevedo DCB, Toledo GA, Cohen SC, Kligerman DC, Cardoso TAO
Introduction emergency situations, adopting as a case
study the experience of Brumadinho, in
According to the United Nations World Report the state of Minas Gerais, which occurred
on Water Resources Development, the right to in January 2019.
clean, safe and adequate drinking water is vital
for the survival of all living organisms and for Material and methods
the functioning of ecosystems, communities
and economies1(84). The study is based on qualitative, descrip-
tive and exploratory research, conducted
However, more than two million people through document analysis, and a case
worldwide do not have access to safe drink- study, through the collection of data from
ing water and the number doubles when it materials published on institutional web-
comes to proper sanitation facilities and sites such as the United Nations (UN),
proper disposal of sewage, which further the Pan American Health Organization
aggravates the unavailability of water (Paho), Brazilian Ministry of Health
resources1. (MoH), Brazilian Institute of Geography
Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e Wo r l d He a l t h and Statistics (IBGE), Instituto Trata Brasil
Organization (WHO), access to sanitation (ITB), National Health Surveillance Agency
impacts a nation’s economy and health by (ANVISA), National Information System
providing a healthier environment and re- on Sanitation (SNIS), Brazilian Ministry of
ducing investments in the area. This access Justice (MoJ), National Sanitation Policy
generates better indicators of education, (PNS – Política Nacional de Saneamento
real estate and tourism valuation, disease Básico) and the legal framework on sanita-
reduction, less waste of resources and tion. The set of laws, decrees and resolu-
greater job creation2. tions was considered as an integral part of
The lack of adequate sanitation is one of the study.
the aggravating factors of natural disasters The bibliographic research was based
in Brazil, given that few cities have an ef- on the search for authors who wrote about
ficient system to support heavy rainfall and/ the topic of interest, in order to support the
or other extreme natural events3. discussion of the theoretical framework.
From 1999 to 2009, Brazil witnessed For the case study, we used data ex-
a solid economic growth cycle, in which tracted from Brumadinho City Hall, the
GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.27%, while Municipality Register (2015) and the public
the employed population increased at an hearing of the state of Minas Gerais, refer-
annual rate of 2.29%4. This process has also ring to the sewage treatment of Brumadinho
brought internal migratory movements and (2018) and the Regulatory Agency for Water
rapid and disorderly urban growth. This Supply and Sanitary Sewer Services of the
scenario associated with the deficiency of state of Minas Gerais (Arsae – Agência
essential services—mainly basic and sani- Reguladora de Servicos de Abastecimento
tation infrastructure—contributed to the de Água e de Esgotamento Sanitario).
increase of anthropogenic origin disasters, The analysis of all these components
which shows the vulnerability and fragility was grounded on critical reading, based
in risk management5,6. on aspects relevant to the approach of the
This article aims to analyze the vul- article, being alternatives in response to
nerability of post-disaster sanitation and the proposed objective.
propose actions to be implemented in
SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020Brumadinho disaster: contributions to public policies and sanitation management in emergency periods 223
Results for their development and expansion10.
Chapter 1, Art. 2 addresses urban plan-
Urbanization in Brazil, which began after ning, aiming to organize the spatial distribu-
the 1929 Great Depression and World War tion of population and economic activities
II, brings challenges to be overcome. The to correct distortions in the urban growth
national industries sharply expanded with process and control the negative effects on
the policies promoted by Getúlio Vargas and the environment.
Juscelino Kubitschek, after the shortages Also noteworthy is Art. 4, Chap. 2, Section
generated by the war. With the production I, on the goals of urban planning, the par-
expansion, as a result of the industrialization celing of land use and occupation; environ-
process, there was a disorderly population mental zoning; multiannual plan; budget
growth in the cities7,8. guidelines and annual budget; participatory
According to data from urbanized areas budget management; sector plans, programs
in Brazil, provided by IBGE, the Brazilian and projects; and economic and social de-
urbanization rate jumped from 31.24% in velopment plans.
the 1940s to about 85% in 2018; encouraged Art. 41, Ch. 3 of this Law shows the master
mainly by the attraction that life in the city plan as an instrument of urban planning,
exercised over the rural environment—where making it mandatory for cities with more
the migrant populations sought quality of than 20,000 inhabitants and which are in-
life, health, education and employment. This tegrated in metropolitan regions and urban
fact, driven by the mass media of that period, agglomerations.
made the urban environment a paradise for In 2012, Federal Law No. 12.608, which
those unaware of its dynamics7-9. discusses the National Policy of Protection
As a direct consequence of the urban- and Civil Defense, in its art. 42-A, incorpo-
ization process, the lack of urban planning rates the promotion of diversity of uses and
afflicted the cities in the country. Rapid the generation of employment and income
growth has contributed to the emergence in urban planning11.
of subnormal clusters, places without in- The challenge of urbanization in Brazil is
frastructure, unhealthy housing conditions, largely associated with the need for territo-
vulnerable to risks and disasters4,8,9. rial reorganization, so that the laws cited are
The consequences of the lack of urban put into practice to promote a fair and equal
planning are marked in space: excess of territory for the entire population, without
vertical buildings, for better use of urban discrimination of social class, income and
land; narrow, winding streets causing mobil- skin color. Integration actions between the
ity problems for pedestrians and vehicles; political, economic and social sectors can
poorly spaced recreational areas, located bring satisfactory results if interventions are
only in upper-middle-class neighborhoods; planned, well executed and more perennial.
intense slum process; housing deficit; con-
structions in landslide and flooding risk Sanitation
areas and lack of sanitation5.
Most Brazilians do not have access to basic
Urban legislation sanitation services such as water supply,
sewage system and solid waste collection.
In response to the problems of cities, on July The lack of these services brings health risks
10, 2001, Federal Law No. 10,257, known as and cooperate with environmental degra-
the City Statute, was enacted. This Law de- dation. The transmission of diseases such
termines the responsibility of municipalities as cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, dengue,
SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020224 Azevedo DCB, Toledo GA, Cohen SC, Kligerman DC, Cardoso TAO
malaria, zika, chikungunya and typhoid is Janeiro and Bahia, totaling 63.3%. And the
linked to problems related to poor sanitation worst investments, about 1.7%, occurred
and contaminated water12. in the states of Amazonas, Acre, Amapá,
In the country, investment in sanitation Alagoas and Rondônia13,15.
is short. According to the National Plan for The Plansab also suggests that there has
Basic Sanitation (Plansab – Plano Nacional de been a readjustment in service fees, which
Saneamento Básico), approximately 40% of have been frozen for years and do not cor-
the Brazilian population has no water supply; respond to the socioeconomic and demo-
60% do not have sanitary sewer; and 40% lack graphic changes that have occurred in the
proper management of municipal solid waste. country in recent decades.
Limitations in service management are re- In this sense, it is essential to rethink how
sponsible for it13. The most common problems sanitation services can operate in emergency
are the poor capacity of planning adequacy situations.
and the execution of the works; the precarious
inspection system regarding the use of public
resources; the inability to promote sustain- Disasters
able interventions; the difficulty of long-term
planning; inappropriate tariffs; lack of services According to the Civil Defense command
regulation and difficulty in integrating propos- and operations system, disaster is the result
als from government spheres14. of a phenomenon, whether natural (such as
All of these limitations result in ineffective drought, hurricanes, extreme temperatures,
and unavailable service. It also alludes to high forest fires), or caused by man or even by
spending, whether due to mismanagement the combination of both, which is called an
of public resources or even inefficiency in adverse event, a disaster-causing phenom-
their application14. enon. Thus, a particular episode such as
Plansab projects the possibility of uni- heavy rain, chemical explosion, fires, dam
versal access to water and waste collection disruption, or a prolonged period without
in urban regions by 2030. Water supply in rain may turn into disaster, depending on
rural areas could be increased by 2033, from the consequences and vulnerability of the
61% to 80%; sewage collection from 53% affected system16. They are also associated
to 93% in urbanized areas and from 17% to with the intensity of human, material or
69% in rural areas; the volume of treated environmental losses due to the phenom-
sewage from 53% to 93%; from 27% to 70% enon and the economic and social losses.
the collection of solid waste in rural areas In emergency situations, health issues take
and a reduction of losses in water supply on special characteristics. First, basic data
systems, from 39% to 31%13. on the affected area should be gathered
According to the Instituto Trata Brasil, after the impact of the adverse event, such
the cost of universal access to sanitation as sanitation and health infrastructure and
services will be R$ 508 billion from 2014 the affected population17.
to 2033, with 50% of Federal investments Disasters require immediate response
and 41% by other agents. Annually, the actions by public bodies to minimize loss of
government should invest R$ 13.5 billion. life, as well as the definition of a location unaf-
Resources from non-federal agents would fected by the event to be used as a support area,
come from international loans and from where provisional shelter work will begin17.
state and local governments. Currently, the Adequate facilities and technologies for restor-
largest investments occurred in the states ing sanitation, such as the management of solid
of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de waste, wastewater, and drinking water, should
SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020Brumadinho disaster: contributions to public policies and sanitation management in emergency periods 225
be quantified. Establishing a suitable burial of urban households had solid waste collec-
site, as well as vector control, also become tion at that time. However, the percentage
important health measures, as it minimizes decreases when addressing the water supply
disease transmission17. and sewage sewer requirements, 76.4% and
An environment with sanitation is one of 65.2%, respectively, only in the urban area.
the fundamental needs in emergency situa- The rural area has a rudimentary pit to
tions to protect the health of the population. collect its sewage and the water supply is
Thus, it is crucial for the immediate recovery made by insurgency capture, with shallow
of the affected population the reestablishment (up to 20 meters deep) and deep wells (more
of the local sanitation system15. than 20 meters deep). In addition, there
The occurrence of a disaster, such as the is no separation between the urban drain-
one that occurred on January 25, 2019, with age network and the sewage system; which
the rupture of the ore tailings dam B1, at the together with unplanned urban sprawl,
Córrego do Feijão Mine complex, in the munic- population densification and riparian forest
ipality of Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, owned clearing, contribute to flooding.
by Miner Vale SA, reinforces the importance The city has two wastewater treatment
of adopting a structured policy that enables plants (WWTP): Mirante and Ecológica,
the preservation and maintenance of a safe and located in the Retiro das Pedras condo-
healthy environment, especially regarding the minium (north sector, sub-basin 1 and 2;
compromise of rivers and springs around the south sector, sub-basin 3, respectively).
cities, as in the case of Brumadinho-MG18,19. Both are privately owned but have a
30-year service agreement with Copasa,
Case study: the Brumadinho disaster since 1995. The method used is the septic
tank followed by an anaerobic filter. The
Brumadinho is a municipality located in the average flow, according to data from the
metallurgical area of the Belo Horizonte Municipal Secretariat of the Environment21,
Metropolitan Region (BHMR), state of Minas was between 3.09 and 3.96 l/s. The receiv-
Gerais. Its economic activity is mining and ing bodies are the Mirante Stream and the
small agriculture. Its urbanization rate cor- Ribeirão Retiro das Pedras River, belonging
responds to 72.8% of its population, which is to the Paraopeba River Basin.
estimated at 39,520 inhabitants20. A third WWTP was built in 2010, serving
Its territorial extension is 639.4 km², being about 170 households (approximately 760
one of the largest cities of BHMR in terms people) and biologically treats, from anaerobic
of area. Its territory is divided into 5 dis- digestion, domestic effluents and rainwater,
tricts: Brumadinho, Aranha, Conceição do which reach the same gallery. The treatment
Itaguá, Piedade do Paraopeba and São José consists in the generation of a bacterial colony
do Paraopeba. It has a tropical climate and its (primary treatment), where they are stabilized,
biome is the Atlantic Forest20. pass through biological filtration and aeration.
The Brumadinho City Hall prepared in Afterwards, all bacteria originating from filter-
2010 the Municipal Plan for Basic Sanitation ing are retained21.
(PMSB – Plano Municipal de Saneamento The last survey by Copasa, conducted in
Básico) in order to plan the actions and 2008, showed that 61% of the population had
define the priorities of the Municipality19. sewage collection system, and 87% in urban
However, regarding basic sanitation, there areas. In locations where there is no network,
is no total coverage in the municipal- especially in rural areas, septic tanks have
ity. According to data from the Municipal been adopted as a means of collecting and
Secretariat of the Environment13, about 95% treating effluents21.
SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020226 Azevedo DCB, Toledo GA, Cohen SC, Kligerman DC, Cardoso TAO
Water supply in the urban region is pro- would be January 201922.
vided by Copasa through the Brumadinho Although COPASA did not conclude the
Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The catch- contract for sanitation of the Municipality,
ment takes place in the lake originating in 2019, the Dam 1 broke containing mining
from the Manso River Basin. Conventional tailings from the Córrego do Feijão Mine,
type treatment was used in the WTP, cover- located in the Ferro-Carvão stream, in the
ing about 3.8 m³ of water per second. The Córrego do Feijão region18,19.
sludge production is about 50 m³/day. As The tailings dam, classified as ‘low risk’
mentioned, in the rural area, households and ‘high potential for damage’, was con-
are supplied from wells, and there are trolled by Vale S.A company. It is under-
no restrictions on the use of municipal stood as dam: any structure in a permanent
groundwater21. or temporary watercourse for the purpose
Solid waste is appropriately disposed of containment or accumulation of liquid
of, as the city has the only BHMR landfill substances or mixtures of liquids and solids.
(which has a wastewater treatment plant), The dam break released about 12
which was built with resources from the million cubic meters of tailings, forming
Growth Acceleration Program (PAC – giant waves that reached a speed of about
Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento) 80 km/ hour, advancing over the refec-
and started its activities in 2012. About 710.1 tory and the administrative area of the
t/day of organic waste is collected and since Company, heading towards cars, houses,
1998, about 6.17 t/day of recyclable waste trees, animals and people. The mud con-
has been collected by selective collection21. taminated the Paraopeba River, leaving the
In 2017, a public hearing was held with water unfit for consumption in at least 20
representatives of Copasa, the executive municipalities19,23.
and legislative powers and the population This has resulted in one of the largest
of Brumadinho to clarify the agreement mining tailings disasters in Brazil, classified
between Copasa and the Municipality to as an industrial, humanitarian and envi-
obtain information on the progress of the ronmental disaster, as well as the largest
implementation of the system for waste- workplace accident in the country. To date,
water treatment and the lack of water in more than 228 people have been found dead
several neighborhoods and localities of the and about 49 people are still missing, creat-
city22. This contract signed in 2008, with a ing a situation of public calamity24,25.
30-year term, for the implementation of a
complete sanitary sewer system: collection
networks, interceptors, pumping stations Discussion
and WWTP; encompassing the headquar-
ters of Brumadinho and other areas. But In disaster situations, sanitation-related ill-
only in 2015 the company signed the com- nesses can lead to preventable diseases and
mitment term with the public prosecutor deaths. To this end, sanitation management
to provide the municipality with a sani- contingency actions must be preventive
tary sewer system suitable for the region. to avoid accidents that may compromise
This agreement was canceled and, in 2018, the quality of services provided and the
another public hearing was held to discuss safety of the workers involved. Such actions
the environmental and social impacts that require strategic maintenance, planning,
could occur in the implementation of the operational management, quality control,
WWTP, since the deadline for the imple- communication support and supply. A con-
mentation and operation of the WWTP tingency plan addresses scheduled actions
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with specialized labor, materials and equip- disease. In the short term, within 6 months,
ment to recover sanitation services in the services are expected to stabilize. It seeks
shortest possible time12,26-28. to reduce morbidity and mortality by taking
For a better response to services, post- preventive actions so that diseases do not
disaster emergency stages are reported, spread. Finally, in the long term (which may
divided into 3 periods (chart 1). In the im- last for years), it is expected that everything
mediate phase (1 to 2 months), immediately will be normalized, that the affected popula-
after the disaster, the sanitation program is tions can already return to their homes or be
initial, because of the great instability in the moved to other appropriate places. The goal
provision of sanitation service due to the of sanitation in this period is to promote the
event and the high mortality rates. The ob- health and well-being of the inhabitants, as
jective of this phase is to find a safe place to well as their self-sufficiency12.
receive sanitation infrastructure to prevent
Chart 1. Activities, emergency program stages and duration of disaster actions
Activity Goal Phase
Complete assessment checklist to set priori- Rapid assessment and priority setting Immediate
ties.
Produce program outline incorporating Design a program Immediate
logical study, estimating sanitation require-
ments, costs, staff and time.
Work with experts to produce detailed Program detailing Immediate
program and action plan.
Select and implement immediate actions. Immediate action Short-term
Implement, monitor and evaluate sanitation Implementation Short/long term
program.
Source: Adapted12.
Water supply management in treatment process that will provide enough
emergency situations for everyone; post-emergency treatment; need
for disinfection of drinking water; water ac-
Not enough drinking water may be available ceptance; need for places to collect and reserve
to meet the basic needs of all those affected water; epidemiological considerations; reli-
by the disaster. Therefore, the first aspect of ability at source; quantity and equitable access
sanitation to have emergency measures is the to water12,26-28.
water supply system. In this case, the correct Regarding the quality of groundwater cap-
administration of the resource is important to tured by underground wells, no evidence
ensure survival28. of change in quality is noticed, although it
Before supplying water, it is necessary is recommended to intensify quality moni-
to assess the quality of raw water and pos- toring, making sure the population receive
sible sources of contamination; to carry out a potable water.
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Water monitoring can be done primarily in places of food preparation28.
two ways: sampling and analysis (through kits When implementing an alternative method
for a small amount; or laboratory for a large for the disposal of human excreta, some basic
amount, which can be assembled on site)12. precautions should be taken beforehand, es-
In the analysis, the quality of the water is pecially regarding availability. In the immedi-
evaluated considering the pH, turbidity and ate term, 50% of the affected population is
residual chlorine parameters. In the sam- expected to have access, especially in medical
pling, a sanitary inspection is made, based centers and cafeterias. In the short term, 75%;
on some indicators: proximity to sources of in the long term, 95%, being 100% in medical
fecal contamination, color, smell, presence of centers and cafeterias12,28.
dead fish or animals, debris, etc.; thus, water For the sanitary sewer, some measures
quality can be deduced27. are a priority: 1) in post-disaster assembled
settlements, sanitation facilities should be
Sanitary sewer management in established immediately; 2) to design and
emergency situations build sanitary facility shelters after an as-
sessment of the topography, location of
After establishing the parameters for water groundwater reserves to avoid contami-
collection and treatment, sanitary sewer nation; 3) to design the sanitary facilities
must be a priority. Some points should be aiming to avoid any contact with possible
considered, such as: socio-political issues; vectors; 4) to evaluate all technical options
area availability; soil conditions; material for the construction of toilets, with aimed
availability; cultural issues; financial issues; at minimizing threats to users, especially
human resources; system operation and women, children, people with mobility
maintenance12,28. impairment and those in charge of main-
The area reserved for toilets must meet tenance; 5) to collect data on the affected
some criteria, such as: distance from water population to build an adequate number of
reservoirs and water treatment units to toilets that minimize risks to public health
avoid contamination (minimum distance is (chart 2); 6) to include a soapy water reser-
50 meters); they should be installed in loca- voir for hand cleaning, as well as intimate
tions below subdivisions and water sources; hygiene material; 7) if possible, to accom-
away from roads and public buildings; outside modate people with chronic diseases and
agricultural fields; far from water, food and older adults closer to the toilets12,26,28.
Chart 2. Quality criteria, quantity and use of sewage disposal sites
Criterion Immediate Short Term Long Term
Quality Latrine with technically basic Appropriate and sustainable Appropriate technology;
material; technology such as Biodigester Socially accepted;
Socially acceptable; Septic Tank (BST) and Evapo- Without Risk to Health;
Basic health protection; transpiration Basin (ETB) up to Up to 3 Years.
Sustainable Technology up to 1 6 months;
month. Socially acceptable;
Minimal Health Risk.
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Chart 2. (cont.)
Criterion Immediate Short Term Long Term
Quantity For medical centers: 1 latrine per For medical centers: 1 toilet for For medical centers: 1 toilet for
50 beds or 100 patients. 20 beds or 50 patients. 10 beds or 20 patients.
For schools, 1 latrine for 50 girls Schools: 1 toilet for 30 girls and Schools: 1 toilet for 15 girls and
and 1 for 100 boys. 60 boys. 30 boys.
Cafeterias: 1 latrine for 100 Cafeterias: 1 toilet for 50 adults Cafeterias: 1 toilet for 20 adults
adults and 1 latrine for 50 chil- and 1 toilet for 20 children. and 1 for 10 children.
dren. Offices: 1 toilet to 20 employees.
Usage 50% of the affected popula- 75% of the affected population; 95% of the affected population;
tion; 100% medical centers and 100% medical centers and caf- 100% medical centers and caf-
cafeterias. eterias. eterias.
Source: Adapted12.
Regarding sanitary sewer in the munici- Policy, Law No. 12.305, waste can be discard-
pality of Brumadinho, it was not affected ed materials, substances, objects or goods
by the dam rupture, although the company that result from community activities and
responsible, Copasa, has not yet completed are classified according to their origin and
the sanitation work, as provided for in the hazardousness29. For this discussion, we
contract. will consider only the waste from the Dam
Proper and efficient decision-making of 1 disruption, since the solid waste from the
emergency actions involving basic sanita- Municipality of Brumadinho already has
tion has great importance to public health. proper disposal, that is, the BHMR landfill.
Mainly, the spread of sanitation-related dis- Solid waste from mining activity is divided
eases is to be avoided, which are transmitted into: sterile and tailings. Barren are exca-
via the fecal–oral route (diarrhea, bacillary vated materials from mining activity in the
dysentery, shigellosis and hepatitis), skin and mine stripping, and are usually arranged
eye diseases (scabies and other skin infec- in piles. The tailings are the result of the
tions), soil (hookworm diseases), diseases beneficiation process to which the mineral
spread by rodents (typhus, leptospirosis and substances are submitted. The disposal of
bubonic plague), and also by water transmis- tailings in reservoirs created by dikes or
sion, vectors that reproduce in poor sanita- dams is the most commonly used method
tion environments (malaria, dengue, yellow in the country. These dams or dikes may be
fever, zika and chikungunya)28. made of natural soil or constructed from the
tailings themselves and are classified in this
Management of solid waste and case as tailings-containing retention dams,
tailings in emergency situations and in the other case as conventional dams30.
For the waste from the dam rupture,
Solid waste management, as well as water there is no management plan for the tail-
supply and sanitary sewer, are essential in a ings so far. They are still at the disaster
disaster situation28. site and Vale, according to the Arsae-MG
According to the National Solid Waste report, has not notified any measures for
SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020230 Azevedo DCB, Toledo GA, Cohen SC, Kligerman DC, Cardoso TAO
the final disposal of these wastes. Final considerations
According to information from the
State Secretariat for the Environment The lack of adequate urban planning proves to
and Sustainable Development (Semad – be an aggravating factor in disaster situations,
Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente as it leads to population occupation in more
e Desenvolvimento Sustentável), the Vale vulnerable areas, such as river banks, hillsides
dam tailings have traveled for 125 km from and areas near tailings dams.
the rupture site to the Paraopeba River. This Proper management of post-disaster en-
river flows into the Três Marias Dam res- vironmental sanitation is essential for public
ervoir, 330 km from Brumadinho. Officials health actions, as it can minimize the impacts
and public agencies expect these wastes that could aggravate the scenario in disaster
to be contained by the Retiro Baixo Power situations.
Plant, located on the Paraopeba River (300 Another important factor that should be
km from the catastrophe site), thus prevent- considered is the lack of investments in basic
ing pollution from reaching the Três Marias sanitation, since every R$ 1.00 invested in
Lake and the São Francisco River. This mud sanitation saves R$ 9.00 in health32. With
from ore tailings has a high concentration this investment it is possible to reduce the
of heavy metals, which can cause a series of incidence of diseases and make the care of
harms to human health, as well as irrevers- those most affected a priority, resulting in
ible damage to the environment. optimization of time, material and labor, as
As previously reported, the planning of well as reducing hospitalizations and spend-
disaster risk reduction actions is critical ing on public health.
to the success of life-saving activities and In Brazil, there are 24,000 dams, accord-
emergency operations, as it enables them to ing to the Dam Safety Report, of which only
prepare in advance the actions required to 13,997 (58%) are in good standing. Also, 204
minimize the impacts of disaster relief17,31. dams have structural problems, 45 of which
In emergency situations caused by a di- are located in the state of Minas Gerais.
saster, such as the one in Brumadinho, it is Emergency measures need to be carried
common for the water supply to be inter- out so these dams can go through specific
rupted due to damage that may be caused technical inspection processes more often,
to the distribution network. Therefore, the in order to avoid other human-induced di-
time needed to restore conditions prior to sasters, such as those at Brumadinho and
the event imply the need to carry out alter- Mariana. Those disasters caused deaths, as
native ways of water supply and/or storage. well as endangering neighboring popula-
The same is true for the sewage system13,16. tions, and caused environmental degradation
In Situation Report No. 01, by Arsae-MG, in these areas. Reduction of vulnerability
an agency that acts in the regulation and can be achieved through mitigation and
supervision of water supply and sewage ser- preparedness measures17,24.
vices in the municipalities, it was informed In the country, many factors contribute
that the headquarters of Brumadinho has, to the increase of vulnerability and impacts
so far, a system of water supply, which is of disasters due to lack of urban planning.
collected in the Águas Claras stream. The When analyzing the vulnerability of a com-
information is that the water supply system munity, human factors must be considered,
was interrupted only for a few hours due as they generally influence the severity of
to unavailability of electricity. As soon as a disaster.
electricity was restored, water distribution Thus, in order to reduce the risk of disas-
was normalized19. ters, the relations between sanitation, public
SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020Brumadinho disaster: contributions to public policies and sanitation management in emergency periods 231
health and the environment constitute an quality monitoring study on the waters from
initial and important step in the develop- the region’s watershed.
ment of a health planning model. In terms Disasters from mining areas underline the
of plans, the identification and analysis of importance of stricter, better structured and
the effects of implementing a particular enforced environmental policies that promote
system—be it water supply, sewage and solid healthy and safer environments.
waste collection/treatment—should provide
the means to establish priorities and point
the most appropriate direction, since each Collaborators
beneficiary population has distinct char-
acteristics and sanitation actions cannot Azevedo DCB (0000-0002-9768-4757)*,
always be oriented in the same way. Toledo GA (0000-0002-0842-6108)*, Cohen
Considering the severity of the event at SC (0000-0001-6228-6583)*, Kligerman DC
the Córrego do Feijão dam, it is currently (0000-0002-7455-7931)* and Cardoso TAO
impossible to measure the impacts caused (0000-0002-5430-7273)* have contributed
to the springs of the affected municipali- equally to the conception, data collection,
ties. The municipal and state spheres should preparation and writing the draft, critical
prepare, together with the company respon- review of content and approval of the manu-
sible for the BHMR water supply system, a script’s final version. s
*Orcid (Open Researcher
and Contributor ID).
SAÚDE DEBATE | RIO DE JANEIRO, V. 44, N. 124, P. 221-233, JAN-MAR 2020232 Azevedo DCB, Toledo GA, Cohen SC, Kligerman DC, Cardoso TAO
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Received on 04/30/2019
Approved on 12/08/2019
Conflict of interests: non-existent
25. Brasil. Lei nº 12.334, 20 de setembro de 2010. Esta-
Financial support: non-existent
belece a Política Nacional de Segurança de Barra-
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