4. The Case of 700,000

Explicit content warning

03/11/24 • 45 min

Some might say that for the mining giants involved in the Mariana dam collapse, this isn’t just a story about human lives, it’s also a story about the bottom line. BHP and Vale are two of the biggest mining companies in the world, with net worths rivalling nations, and for years, setbacks in the Brazilian justice system have created a struggle to hold these large companies accountable for the destruction the collapse of the dam they own caused. But in 2019, Pogust Goodhead, a London-based global law firm, decided to challenge the status quo of what it means to hold multinational corporations to account. This is the rollercoaster story of how a small law firm fronted by one man grew to represent 700,000 victims in the largest ever class action lawsuit brought in English courts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

3. Patterns of Abuse

Who is responsible for the collapse of the Mariana dam that killed 19 people, left hundreds of people homeless and hundreds of thousands of people without access to drinking water? In episode 3, a first hand account from a resident of Papua New Guinea reminds us that this is not the first time the mining company has been involved in a riverine mining disaster that affected thousands of people. In Brazil, Liz Bonin explores the impact the disaster had on victims for the months and years following 5th November 2015. There are revelations of criminal charges made but then dropped, and we hear the evidence behind unsettling allegations — did the mine’s owners have prior knowledge of the dam's potential safety issues?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

5. Dead River

In 2015, after the Mariana dam collapse, biologist Luciano Magalhães declared that the River Doce was dead. In episode 5, Liz Bonnin explores the effect that high levels of toxic metals, thousands of pounds of species die off, and millions of tons of toxic waste have on the River Doce and the residents that rely on it. We hear from people who were forced to leave their homes because they lost their jobs, people whose loved ones they believe died from the effects of the contaminated water, and indigenous leaders who have watched their community suffer unbearable grief and physical illness for years following the collapse. What have the companies involved done to mitigate these risks, and how, if ever, can a river be brought back to life?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.