BHP notes recent media commentary regarding the addition of new claimants to the United Kingdom group action complaint related to the Fundão Dam collapse.
BHP Group Limited and BHP Group (UK) Limited (formerly BHP Group Plc) are defendants to a group action brought by claimants in the English High Court seeking damages for alleged losses in relation to the Fundão Dam collapse in 2015 (the English Proceedings). The Fundão Dam was owned and operated by Samarco Mineracao S.A. (Samarco), a non-operated joint venture between BHP Billiton Brasil Ltda (BHP Brasil) (a subsidiary of BHP Group Limited) and Vale S.A (Vale). BHP Brasil and Vale each hold a 50 per cent interest in Samarco.
BHP filed its defence to the English Proceedings in December 2022 and denies the claims in their entirety. On 25 February 2023, a further claim was filed to add approximately 500,000 new claimants to the English Proceedings. Full details of the claims have not been received and the amount of damages sought in the English Proceedings remains unspecified.
