Public Ministry denounces Usiminas for air pollution in Ipatinga

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Minas Gerais (MPMG) defends condemning Usiminas to pay R$ 346.7 million in collective moral damages due to atmospheric pollution in the municipality of Ipatinga, located in Vale do Aço, in Minas Gerais. According to a public civil action filed in court, the emission of particles, which generates a situation popularly known as “black dust”, has been causing discomfort and suffering to the city’s residents for decades. The MPMG attached to the process documents that prove that the standards and limits set by the legislation in force are not respected by the company. Among the documents attached are a civil inquiry, a report by the State Foundation for the Environment (Feam) and self-monitoring reports prepared by Usiminas itself. Information related to the action was released on Monday (17). According to the MPMG, collective moral damages are configured by the violation of values, reduced quality of life and the suffering of the community, translating into feelings of embarrassment, frustration, disgust, hopelessness and impotence. Usiminas had already signed a conduct adjustment term (TAC) with the MPMG in 2019, establishing the implementation of mitigation measures. Targets were established to be met by 2028. However, the Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains in the public civil action that this TAC, aimed at reducing the impact of the company’s operations in the coming years, does not remove responsibility for the damage caused in recent decades. Sought by Agência Brasil, Usiminas did not take a position until the end of the report. Last year, atmospheric pollution caused by the company in Ipatinga was the subject of a public hearing convened by the Public Ministry and a perception study: 93% of respondents reported some level of discomfort with black powder. Usiminas emerged as a state-owned company and soon became a joint venture: in addition to national capital, the company had the participation of Japanese capital and technology. The company started operating in Ipatinga in 1962, starting the trajectory of one of the largest steel companies in Brazil. In 1991, Usiminas was the first state-owned company privatized during the government of then-President Fernando Collor de Mello. Currently, the majority of the voting capital is divided between the multinational groups Ternium and Nippon Steel Corporation.

Agência Brasil