Applying geoethics to the context of mining ferruginous geosystems : case studies from the tailing dam breaks in Fundão and Córrego do Feijão, Minas Gerais - Brazil.

Abstract

Geoethics is an emerging concept particularly suited to planning and managing the use of geo-resources (including water and soil). The main objective of this paper is to explore geoethics to contextualize the problems associated with mining activities in ferruginous geosystems, using as examples the ruptures of the Fundão and the Córrego do Feijão dams, both located in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero (QF), in the state of Minas Gerais - Brazil. Mining industry in the region has been developing for centuries being a guiding thread of the identity and memory of the local communities. By claiming to bring economic returns to the area, mining has been transforming the environmental balance and the physiognomy of landscapes. By examining the context of the rupture of two dam breaks (human and environmental losses), our work challenges the prevailing view that mining, as practiced in the QF, only brings development and aggregates value to the population. Instead, our work highlights that the performance of mining sector as a whole, and the mining companies in particular, requires a more responsible and ethical action towards society. We therefore call for the need to include geoethical approaches in mainstream landscape management strategies in ferruginous geosystems in Brazil.