SAO PAULO – Brazil’s federal police said on Friday that 20 people have been formally accused following an investigation into a sinking ground disaster related to salt mining activities in Maceio, where petrochemicals firm Braskem has been active for decades.

The police did not name the company, or those who were formally accused after concluding its investigation. Braskem’s mines began extracting rock salt in the 1970s in the northeastern city of Maceio, but operations were halted from 2019 after authorities said it contributed to five neighborhoods sinking. Thousands of families had to be removed from the affected areas.

Over the past few years, the company has been paying billions of reais in reparations to the city and its residents. In response to a Reuters request for comment, Braskem said that it had not analyzed the entire police report. “Since the beginning of the investigation the company has contributed with the information and clarifications within its reach,” it said, adding that it “has always acted in line with the laws and regulations of the sector.” The police did not clarify what the 20 people were formally accused of. The authorities only said the accusations include six different transgressions, three of which are listed in the country’s environmental crimes law. Braskem said it had “confidence in the members mentioned in the investigation.” (Reuters)…[+]

Photo: Jose Rinaldo Januario, 47, shows a damage in his house linked to rock salt mining by the petrochemical company Braskem in Maceio, Brazil. (Reuters)