In Brazil’s capital, a major lawsuit has been initiated against the mining behemoth Vale, along with the Brazilian government and the state of Para, due to severe heavy metal contamination impacting the Xikrin Indigenous community. The legal action, revealed this week but filed last Friday, targets the nickel mining activities at Vale’s Onca-Puma site. This site, according to the suit, has polluted the Catete River, which flows through Indigenous lands. Even though a deal was struck in 2022 between Vale and the Xikrin for monthly compensation, the agreement did not address health concerns as per the prosecution’s assertions.
A research effort by the Federal University of Para, conducted last spring within Xikrin do Catete Indigenous Territory, uncovered perilously elevated levels of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and nickel in the hair samples from nearly all 720 participants. Due to fears of water contamination, the Xikrin have resorted to using bottled water for children and are sourcing fish from municipal stores. A particularly alarming case highlighted in the study was that of a 19-year-old woman with nickel levels surpassing safe limits by 2,326%. If such metal poisoning goes untreated, it may result in severe brain and organ damage.
In response, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, which defends Indigenous rights, is seeking a mandate for Vale to implement a continuous health surveillance program for the community. Furthermore, the lawsuit urges the State of Para, responsible for granting the environmental license, and the federal government, overseeing Indigenous health policies, to offer necessary technical support and ensure rigorous environmental checks.
“The condition of the Xikrin do Catete constitutes a humanitarian disaster demanding immediate judicial action in Brazil. Non-action would exacerbate the Indigenous community’s daily exposure to environmental contamination,” the lawsuit indicates. Vale responded, claiming that court-appointed experts found its mining activities were not the source of the river’s contamination. The company maintains that it consistently monitors water quality and funds health and additional care measures for the Xikrin.
The environmental agency of Para stated that in 2024, it formed a pact with Vale to alleviate the socio-environmental fallout of the Onca-Puma project. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Ministry of Health had not responded to requests for comments. In a separate context, in November, Belem, Para’s capital, will host the COP30 United Nations climate conference, for which Vale is developing a significant infrastructure project, the Parque da Cidade, covering around 123 acres.
Historically, Vale has been linked to catastrophic environmental incidents, notably with two dam collapses in Minas Gerais in 2015 and 2019, which resulted in the deaths of 291 individuals and extensive pollution across waterways.
