Brazil Judge Temporarily Suspends $56 Billion in Mine Spill Lawsuits

摘要

A Brazilian judge suspended a $50-billion lawsuit and a $6.5-billion claim against mining company Samarco Mineracao and its co-owners for an iron-ore waste spill that authorities called Brazil's worst environmental disaster. "Federal prosecutors asked the judge to provisionally suspend both lawsuits to show Samarco our good faith in wanting to reach final settlement by June 30. And his ruling honored our request," Jose Adercio Leite Sam-paio, a federal prosecutor in Minas Gérais state who took part in the preliminary agreement, told Bloomberg BNA March 18. "If both sides can't reach an agreement by that June 30 deadline, both suspended lawsuits are automatically reinstated."