Brazil regulator to apply additional fines against Samarco

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s environmental regulator is planning additional fines against iron ore miner Samarco on top of the 20 billion reais in damages and clean-up charges the government is seeking, the country’s attorney general, Luis Adams, said on Friday.

The regulator, known as Ibama, has already fined Samarco 250 million reais in the aftermath of a rupture of a tailings dam that ravaged communities and contaminated a major river.

Samarco is a joint venture between the world’s largest mining company, BHP Billiton Ltd, and the biggest iron ore miner, Vale SA.

(Reporting by Alonso Soto; Editing by Leslie Adler)