A Dutch court has ruled that petrochemical giant Braskem is liable for damage caused by earthquakes triggered by salt mining in Maceio, northeast Brazil. The plaintiffs hail a historic victory.
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The tremors that shook the city of Maceio in 2018, a city of one million inhabitants, capital of the state of Alagoas, located in the northeast of Brazilare linked to the exploitation of underground salt mines. These tremors have damaged streets and buildings, to the point that tens of thousands of people have had to abandon their homes, and the risks are long-lasting. At the end of last year, a mine partially collapsed in Maceio.
The company Braskem, which operates the site, is Brazilian, but two years ago the Rotterdam court declared itself competent in this case. The parent company and its subsidiaries in The Netherlands being inextricably linked. The Brazilian petrochemical giant is therefore ordered to pay compensation to the plaintiffs. Braskem had already said that it had offered and paid compensation. An incomplete offer to settle the case at a discount had retorted a lawyer for the victims.
So, one of these victims who has still not been able to buy a new home hails “a huge success” and hopes for a rapid execution of this decision. Beyond the compensation, the nine plaintiffs obtain recognition of Braskem’s responsibility in these shocks which have psychologically affected the inhabitants.
” Un huge success »
” This decision represents a huge success for my family and for the people in the areas directly and indirectly affected. ” said one of the plaintiffs, José Ricardo Batista, quoted in a press release from the law firm Pogust Goodhead. I hope that the decision will be implemented as soon as possible, given that I have still not managed to buy my property, I have serious health problems and my wife is depressed, with no prospects for the future. »
The jugement ” reminds global businesses that wherever they operate, they cannot endanger the lives and livelihoods of local communities with impunity ” said the law firm’s CEO, Tom Goodhead. Braskem has previously said it offered financial compensation and psychological support to victims, in addition to help with relocation. The group said it paid a total of 3.93 billion reais (735 million euros) in compensation and financial aid to several thousand people.
Braskem’s lawyers argued before the Dutch court that since a settlement had been reached in Brazil, the case in the Netherlands was superfluous. The Dutch court, however, said it was ” certain for the plaintiffs that they would not obtain any recognition of liability from Braskem ” before the Brazilian courts. Braskem’s lawyers could not immediately be reached.