Hydro charged for polluting Brazilian river over bauxite residue spillage from Alunorte alumina refinery

On 24^th June 2022, the Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro was accused in a Dutch court, imputing the world’s biggest alumina refinery polluting a Brazilian river for years, engendering critical health issues for inhabitants.

An association and nine victims together representing around 11,000 indigenous families from the north-eastern Brazilian river port of Barcarena are suing Hydro, its seven subsidiaries and shareholders out of which six are based in the Netherlands over alleged spillage from the Alunorte plant for at least 20 years.

According to our report, one of the suitor’s lawyers said, “A lot of people have suffered horrible health effects as a result. That dates back at least two decades.”

“Some developed various forms of cancer. Others developed skin diseases. Babies have been born with their intestines outside their bodies.”

The global aluminium giant has denied responsibility in the case, which is to manifest liability. However, any eventual claim for compensation would be heard separately.

The lawyers stated forth of the case at Rotterdam District Court said, “In the latest case in 2018, heavy rainfall caused reservoirs at the plant to overflow and contaminate the Barcarena municipality’s water supply. A large amount of toxic sludge turned the rivers red.”

“Resulted in many of the indigenous tribes suffering from poor physical health as well as taking away their income and access to food and clean water.”

The Brazilian authorities have also accused Hydro of polluting Barcarena’s drinking water with bauxite residues and have imposed a substantial amount of fine. Barcarena is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Pará, at the mouth of the river Amazon.

A spokesperson from Hydro said, “The facts of the case were already being discussed before Brazilian courts.”

“We, therefore, believe these issues are best addressed locally in Brazil and have asked that the Dutch court stays the matter until a final decision has been reached in the Brazilian cases. The allegations remain unsubstantiated and there is no evidence of contamination in the communities caused by Alunorte related to the February 2018 rainfall.”