Read the company’s full statement regarding the report “Fear of river contamination by mining company haunts indigenous people in Amazonas again, 40 years after first complaints.”

Statement

Mineração Taboca clarifies that it fully complied with the information requested by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in 2021 regarding water turbidity in rivers in the area of the Pitinga industrial complex, in Presidente Figueiredo (AM). At the time, technical analyses based on field inspections conducted by the National Mining Agency (ANM) and the Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute (IPAAM) concluded that the events resulted exclusively from intense and atypical rainfall in the region, with no connection to the company’s activities. Based on these conclusions, Civil Inquiry No. 1.13.000.001050/2021-33 was closed, with its archiving approved by the MPF’s Coordination and Review Chamber, resolving the matter.

Regarding the reopening of Civil Inquiry No. 1.13.000.001053/2021-77, the company remains available to the authorities and emphasizes that, to date, there is no evidence indicating a causal link to its operations. The company also notes that the chemical analysis report prepared by Aqua Viridi presents methodological gaps that compromise the reproducibility of information, as well as technical inconsistencies, which require further examination before a definitive conclusion can be reached.

Concerning recent reports from indigenous communities about changes in water bodies, the company points out that this matter was previously examined by the competent authorities, who expressly ruled out any connection to its activities. The new reports are the subject of ongoing studies that require further and continued technical analysis, given inconsistencies among the primary data that do not allow for a definitive conclusion.

Mineração Taboca has maintained, for many years, a structured relationship of dialogue, respect, and cooperation with the Waimiri Atroari Community Association (ACWA), including voluntary agreements to support projects proposed by the Association itself, as well as full compliance with the commitments undertaken in a Settlement Agreement signed with the MPF in 2019.

It should be noted that the Pitinga Mine operates as a polymetallic operation, extracting cassiterite and columbite, with all other materials disposed of in accordance with current environmental legislation. Furthermore, the company maintains continuous environmental monitoring through independent and accredited consultancies, in line with all applicable regulatory requirements.

The company reaffirms that it does not use and has never used mercury at any stage of its production process. As part of its cooperation with ACWA, an independent scientific study was commissioned, whose preliminary results indicate that the presence of the element in the region is associated with the natural characteristics of Amazonian soils, as widely recognized in the technical literature.

Regarding references to events that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, the company clarifies that management at the time belonged to a different company, with no connection to the current administration.

Finally, Mineração Taboca reaffirms that it operates in strict compliance with Brazilian law, adopting consistent practices of governance, transparency, and social and environmental responsibility, and remains available to provide any further clarification.

Editor’s note: Translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence from the original statement in Portuguese. The original statement can be read here.