Vale fired inspection firm over Brumadinho certificate

Inspection company Tractebel, a subsidiary of French Engie, expressed reservations about certifying the safety of Brazilian Vale's Brumadinho dam – and was fired for that reason, Reuter reports.

Vale fired the firm months before the deadly dam collapse, which left hundreds dead.

The Brazilian miner would not contract Tractebel because of "divergences in the criteria utilized to evaluate geotechnological safety," Reuters reported, citing testimonies witnesses gave to prosecutors.

After firing the French firm, Vale hired Germany's Tüv Süd, which approved the dam despite evidence that the deposit was "way below" the recommended safety level, prosecutors said according to Reuters.

Prosecutors allege Vale commonly pressured inspectors to confirm dam safety, even if they found installations "violated the required technical specifications."

These accusation were communicated to Vale on Friday together with the recommendation to temporarily remove CEO Fabio Schvartsman, ferrous metals chief Peter Poppinga and others. Vale's board temporarily removed the executives in question on Saturday.

When reached for comment, Vale told BNamericas it is collaborating with the authorities investigating the dam breach.

"As previously stated, Vale's executives had no previous knowledge of an imminent risk of collapse at Dam I. Also, there is no report pointing to an imminent risk of failure of the dam," a communication official said.