Brazil: Communities from lower Amazon region brings a lawsuit against Norsk Hydro over toxic waste

Norsk Hydro the globally integrated aluminium giant has been sued by a group of communities in Brazil. Around 40,000 Brazilians are involved in the lawsuit against Norwegian aluminium producer, as they stated, it is toxic waste pollution the company is causing in northern Brazil.

The communities who live in the lower Amazon region in the Brazilian state of Para, mainly members of Cainquiama – the Amazon Association of Mixed Race, Indigenous and Quilombolas – representing some 11,000 families has brought the lawsuit.

PGMBM, the law firm of the community said: “They are seeking compensation for what they say is the incorrect disposal of toxic waste in the Murucupi River, as well as other effects from the presence of Norsk Hydro installations in the region.”

Norsk Hydro has three facilities in Para: Paragominas, a bauxite mine; Alunorte, a refinery where the bauxite is transformed into alumina; and Albras, where smelters turn alumina into aluminium.

“Victims have been exposed to toxic residues from the processing of aluminium, which can cause health problems such as increased incidences of cancer, Alzheimer’s, skin diseases, stomach problems and diarrhoea,” added PGMBM.

The lawsuit has been filed in the Netherlands, which also refers to a 2018 spill that occurred at Alunorte.

Hydro apologised in early 2018 and said: “It was a ‘completely unacceptable’ spill of untreated water during severe rains at Alunorte but denied that this had resulted in a contamination of the local environment.”

The authorities and courts demanded to Hydro reduce its alumina output from Alunorte due to the release of polluted toxic water, which in turn triggered towards a partial shutdown of Albras and resulted disruptions that lasted more than 15 months.

PGMBM said: “The claimants were not filing the lawsuit in Brazil because they were frustrated at a lack of progress in the Brazilian legal system.”