In the Brazilian state Pará, residents of the communes Saracá, Macedônia and Boa Nova fear a dam failure on the premises of mining company Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN). Research commissioned by Voices and conducted by journalist Niklas Franzen reveals the immense anxiety, the lack of information and the sense of insecurity in the communities living downstream from the dams. In particular, they are afraid of losing their way of life as river dwellers. The Swiss corporation Glencore is a shareholder in the bauxite mine. Voices calls on the corporation to use its influence and respond to the concerns of those affected locally.
This text is based on research commissioned by Voices and conducted by journalist Niklas Franzen.
Laudenilse Ferreira de Oliveira stands in front of her house, feeding her pigs and chickens. Her house and shed are located in a rainforest clearing. The route to her house leads across the Amazon, over Lake Sapucuá and along the Saracá River. The journey by motorboat leads through dense forest and around narrow bends in the river. Laudenilse Ferreira de Oliveira lives in northern Brazil, in the remote commune of Saracá, where she works as a teacher. The idyll of Laudenilse’s farm, which blends peacefully into the forest in the evening light, is clouded by fears of dam failure at the bauxite a good 25 kilometres away. Laudenilse is clearly worried: “Those dams are huge,” she says. “There are basins and tanks, and just one of them is as big as a whole district of Oriximiná, almost as big as our entire territory. It’s huge, like a lake. What will happen to us if one of them suddenly bursts?”
MRN, according to its own statements, mines more than 12 million tonnes of bauxite each year in the region. This amounts to around 40 percent of production in Brazil, the country that is now the fourth-largest bauxite producer worldwide. The resulting waste is stored in huge retention basins, secured by dams. Laudenilse sleeps poorly at night, visibly affected by constant worry about her livelihood, due to what the river communities describe as a lack of any satisfactory response to their concerns, which they claim to have repeatedly confronted MRN with. They feel that the bauxite firm does not give them enough information or take them seriously. Moreover, the community is confused by varying statements about the construction methods of the dams.
According to research from the investigative platform Observatório da Mineração, the risk classifications of MRN’s Saracá and Oriximaná dams have been changed more than 50 times since 2017, often without any comprehensible justification. Dams that were previously considered to have been built in a dangerous manner are now said to comply with current standards. In response to a request from Voices, MRN writes that its facilities comply with legal requirements, are “frequently inspected by state regulatory authorities,” and are monitored 24 hours a day. MRN does not comment on the specific impact of the risk ratings on the communities.
In Brazil’s recent history, two major dam failures near Brumadinho (Vale) and Mariana (Samarco) caused hundreds of deaths, and widespread devastation.
What if the dam breaks? Members of river communities in the Brazilian Amazon talk about their fears of a dam breach at the MRN bauxite mine. Voices calls on Glencore to use its influence as a shareholder in MRN to promote transparency and safety.
The people of Saracá, Macedônia and Boa Nova live in fear of this story repeating itself in their areas. Their livelihoods and cultural activities depend on the ecosystems surrounding the rivers. They fear that the masses of water and debris that would pour in if a dam were to burst would be a disaster for their means of earning a living: their gardens, animals, plantations, the rainforest and the life-giving river. “One stormy day,” says Laudenilse, “such a dam might burst. It could happen at night, while we’re sleeping.”
Glencore has held a 45 percent stake in MRN since the end of 2023 and is represented on its board of directors. In response to a request from Voices, Glencore writes: “In joint ventures that we do not control or operate, we seek to use our influence to encourage them to act in accordance with our policies, for example through representation on the board.” That is why Voices, together with the river communities, is calling on Glencore to use its influence for the benefit of the affected communities and to respond to their concerns.
Countless dams, unclear danger level
Laudenilse Ferreira de Oliveira’s commune is situated deep in the Amazon rainforest, in the state of Pará. Anyone following the Amazon upstream reaches Lake Sapucuá shortly before the state border. The communes of Saracá, Macedônia and Boa Nova are scattered across a wide area on this lake’s western shore.
It was not by chance that the inhabitants settled there: The two rivers Saracá and Araticum, which flow into Lake Sapucuá, provide the communities with access to the places where they traditionally work in the rainforest. There, near the mining area, they fish, collect medicinal plants and grow food crops (see map). José Domingos Rabelo, a resident of Boa Nova, describes the importance of the rivers as follows: “The rivers function like large motorways. People come and go all day long. (…) If just one of these routes becomes impassable and we can no longer use it, then we no longer have any way to survive here.”
A good 20 kilometres upstream from the lake, towards the rivers’ source in the rainforest, there is the MRN bauxite mining area, along with its 27 retention basins for the mining waste. The bauxite mining zone consists of not only open-cast mines, but also a huge area used for depositing this waste material from the ore extraction, a mixture of clay and water known as ‘tailings’. Each tonne of aluminium requires at least four tonnes of bauxite. For every tonne of bauxite, around 25 to 30 percent of the mass is left as residue, with the added water significantly increasing the volume of waste. In the specific case of MRN, the entire mining-waste disposal system covers 1,700 hectares – equivalent to almost 2,400 football pitches.
MRN_Map_EN
Mining companies generally store their tailings permanently behind dams that are built from mining waste. The tailings comprise a mixture of water and solids, the latter of which settle over time. Once the settling basin behind the dam is full, the dam must be raised. This can be done in various ways. One construction method, known as ‘upstream’, involves building the new dam on top of the previously deposited tailings. This construction method is cost-effective, but extremely risky: The tailings form an unstable foundation that is saturated with water.
Dr Steven H. Emerman, an expert on tailings dams, describes the risks of the upstream construction method: “Upstream settling basins are particularly prone to failure, because the dam is built on uncompacted tailings. Even if the dam does temporarily retain its stability, if the tailings beneath it liquefy, it can either collapse into them or slide forwards over them.”
Illustration: Retention basin for tailings
The firm MRN states that its dams are built in a single construction stage and not raised by any subsequent filling. Nevertheless, research from Observatório da Mineração shows that, for some of the dams, the construction-method classification was still ‘upstream or unknown’ prior to 2019. For Dr Steven H. Emerman, this raises many questions: “If it was a single-stage dam from the outset, why was the construction method unknown before 2019? And if the dam was built using the upstream method, how did it suddenly become a single-stage dam?” In response to a request from Voices, MRN wrote: “The company complies with legal requirements regarding credible dam failure studies, and all changes to structural classifications have been made in accordance with Brazilian law.” MRN did not comment specifically on the construction of the dams.
Documents show that there is indeed a risk: According to Brazil’s Integrated Mining Dam Management System (SIGBM), five dams pose a medium risk, including the two dams TP01 and TP 02(as of the 18th of June 2025). For these two dams, the potential extent of damage in the event of dam failure, regarding social, economic and ecological consequences, is also considered high (as of the 18th of June 2025). In response to an enquiry from Niklas Franzen, the National Mining Agency (ANM) pointed out that the classifications are based on inspections at the sites and information from the operators. MRN writes that its facilities comply with legal requirements, are “frequently inspected by state licensing authorities,” and are monitored 24 hours a day. MRN does not comment on the specific implications of the risk classifications for the communities.
Dr Steven H. Emerman doubts that dam safety regulations are being implemented effectively in Brazil: “It’s generally agreed that Brazil has the world’s strictest regulations on tailings dams. But the enforcement of these regulations is lacking. This is probably due to staff shortages, underfunding and limited technical capacity on the part of the supervisory authorities, as well as political pressure.”
Retention basins and dams belonging to the company MRN / Brazil, 2016. Photo: Carlos Penteado/CPI
No detailed information about the construction or safety of the dams on the Saracá Plateau is available to the public or the communities. “We’re mainly worried about our safety here, about the dams,” says Edinilson Gemaque dos Santos, resident of the commune Saracá. “We only have very little information and I couldn’t visit the critical areas so far.”
In a July 2024 information brochure, MRN wrote that it is important to disseminate knowledge about mining dams, also in communes outside the risk zone. However, the communities say they have seen little evidence of any intention to do so. They report that they are insufficiently informed about risks. They feel uncertain and not taken seriously by MRN. That is why they are demanding greater transparency.
According to the communities, the current problems can certainly be solved. “The only solution would be a study conducted by independent scientists – with no connections to the mining company,” says José Domingos Rabelo. “But we don’t have that. Why not? Because our community has been kept in the dark and knows nothing.”
Edinilson_Gemaque_Tiles_MRN_EN
In Boa Nova, people live on and with the river. Photo: Niklas Franzen
Jose_Augusto_Tiles_MRN_EN
Nightlife in Boa Nova. Photo: Niklas Franzen
Jose_Domingo_Tiles_MRN_EN
At the age of 82, Raimundo da Silva is the oldest resident of the commune Saracá. He describes his fear of a dam failure like the one near Brumadinho: “Sometimes, I go with my grandson towards the dam to cut palm trees for making tessum [woven goods], and I carry this fear with me that something could happen and we’d be caught in the middle of it.”
At the very least, the residents wanted sirens, emergency drills and rescue plans, so that they would know the right course of action in the event of dam failure. They say that such measures were announced by MRN, but never implemented. “After the Brumadinho dam failure,” remembers Ilson dos Santos Gemaque, coordinator of the Saracá commune, “they came here to show us how to protect ourselves. But they just talked. The training course never took place, even though they said it would. They also said there’d be a siren, and I’ve heard that there is one. But we’ve never seen one around here.” In response to an inquiry from Voices, MRN stated that sirens are in place. However, MRN did not specify where these sirens are located or what area they cover. According to MRN, an emergency drill was conducted in 2024. The company did not specify whether the river communities participated in this drill.
The anxiety in the communes is not only related to the immediate effects of dam failure, but also to the loss of their livelihoods and the future of their coming generations. Jones Gonçalves da Luz fears that the bauxite residues in the released waste could destroy the environment. “If [the dam] bursts,” he says, “it would have catastrophic consequences. Fish would die. Our lake would be ruined. Under certain circumstances, trees around the lake would die too.” According to MRN, the waste consists exclusively of water and clay, and is classified as harmless according to Brazilian standards.
Communities living in fear
Since 1989, more and more new tailings basins have been built on the Saracá Plateau – but the river communities, according to their members, were never consulted. They fear for their way of life, and feel that they and their concerns are being ignored. “I don’t think they take the matter seriously,” says Raimundo Pontes Ramos, resident of Saracá. “Otherwise, they would have done something. They’d be with us, warning us and getting something done for us. But to be honest, I don’t think they’re all that interested. They don’t care about our health or our lives.”
Jose_Augusto_Mineria_Tiles_MRN_EN
A resident of the Boa Nova river community shows turtles. Photo: Niklas Franzen
Jose_Domingo_River_Tiles_MRN_EN
In Boa Nova, rivers also serve as transport routes. Photo: Niklas Franzen
Laudenilse_Ferreira_Tiles_MRN_EN
Traditional river communities not sufficiently protected
As is the case for the Indigenous communities who are the original inhabitants of the Amazon, the river communities’ way of life is also closely tied to the rainforest. In the late 19th century, workers from north-eastern Brazil migrated to the Trombetas River, in order to work in rubber extraction. As a result of (often forced) marriages with Indigenous women, a new rural population emerged. After the price of rubber fell in 1913, many plantations were abandoned and communities formed, which later gave rise to today’s river communities, in which life is closely linked to the water and the rainforest.
The members of these communities are descended from European and African settlers, but have resided by the water for generations, making their living from fishing, small-scale farming and the forest, while playing a crucial role in protecting the Amazon. Although international standards, such as the International Labour Organization’s Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, stipulate that minorities’ traditional ways of life are to be protected by the state, the Brazilian state does not recognise the rights of Lake Sapucuá’s river communities.
In its guidelines on dealing with Indigenous and traditional communities, MRN also commits itself to active inclusion of the latter. Here is an excerpt from those guidelines: “MRN ensures that the culture, habits and customs of the communities with which the company is in contact are respected, in line with an approach that promotes human rights and compliance with national legislation. When communicating with the communities, care is also taken to ensure that information is accessible and culturally appropriate, and that the communities are given the opportunity to express their wishes and concerns, which are taken into account in the company’s decision-making process.”
Concern about the environment
The villagers are voicing criticism though, with regard to not only safety issues, but also environmental protection. They say that since the mines were built, the water has become polluted, fish quantities have decreased and there have been more diseases. “The water here from the Saracá River used to be crystal clear,” says village elder Raimundo da Silva. “It was incredibly beautiful. When you walked there in those days, it was green and blue. But then it changed colour and turned reddish. (…) And now we no longer drink the water – because it causes diarrhoea and diseases.”
A study led by Professor Ricardo Scoles Cano from the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA) and researcher Hugo Gravina Affonso from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) analysed water quality at two measuring points near Saracá, Macedônia and Boa Nova in February 2025. According to the present results, the water contains significant concentrations of dissolved aluminium, but in order to draw reliable conclusions about the overall water quality, longer studies would have to be carried out. Thus, no causal link between MRN’s mining activities and the changes observed by the communities can be established on the basis of the current data. In response to an inquiry from Voices, MRN refers to a six-year investigation that concluded that MRN’s business activities were not the source of the pollution. MRN also points to its robust water control and monitoring system.
Everyday life in Boa Nova. Photo: Niklas Franzen
Glencore is a shareholder
The Swiss group Glencore has owned a 45 percent stake in MRN since the end of 2023 and is represented on the company’s board of directors. The river dwellers are well aware of the international context. José Domingos Rabelo criticises the one-sided distribution of costs and benefits: “They often say that without bauxite, we’d have no aluminium,” he says. “What I believe though, is that we can live without aluminium. (…) But without water, without forests, we have no life. That’s what we can’t afford to lose. This development doesn’t benefit us – it enriches other countries and large companies. And what are we left with? The sludge. The destruction.”
In its guidelines on the management of mining waste, Glencore writes that it proactively works with communes to share relevant information on risks and monitoring. According to Glencore’s human rights guidelines, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights form the basis for all its business activities. In response to a request from Voices, Glencore writes: “In joint ventures that we do not control or operate, we seek to use our influence to encourage them to act in accordance with our policies, for example through representation on the board.” Given this background, Voices, together with the river communities, is calling on Glencore to comply with its own guidelines and take measures based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, so that MRN does the following:
- provide transparency about how dams are constructed;
- have dam safety checked by an independent body;
- develop and publish emergency and evacuation plans in collaboration with the affected river communities.
This article is based on research commissioned by Voices and conducted by journalist Niklas Franzen.
Support the demands on Glencore now!
José Domingos Rabelo: “Glencore should take the communities more seriously, and the Swiss population should know that, contrary to what the companies claim, not everything is fine here. There is a lack of respect for the natural resources that our grandparents and great-grandparents left us. The companies are destroying everything and leaving us with nothing.”
