Ten years after Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, the Indigenous Krenak people are still mourning what they call “the death of the river.”.
One person was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries Wednesday morning following a crash involving a car and a bicycle in St. Johns County, according to St. Johns County Fire Rescue.
1 transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries after crash involving bicycle in St. Johns County Read full article: 1 transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries after crash involving bicycle in St. Johns CountyBell High player who struck Fernandina Beach player in head with helmet bonds out on battery charge, records show Read full article: Bell High player who struck Fernandina Beach player in head with helmet bonds out on battery charge, records showWhat’s next? Chase Properties unveils redevelopment plans for DCPS riverfront property after board approves $17M offer Read full article: What’s next? Chase Properties unveils redevelopment plans for DCPS riverfront property after board approves $17M offerFILE - Debris is visible after a dam burst at the small town of Bento Rodrigues in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2015. FILE - Rescue workers search for victims after a dam burst in the town of Bento Rodrigues in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Nov. 8, 2015. FILE - A car sits on top of a wall of a home, destroyed when a dam burst in Bento Rodrigues, Brazil, on Nov. 23, 2015. FILE - A rescue worker walks between destroyed houses after a dam burst in the town of Bento Rodrigues, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Nov. 8, 2015. FILE - Rescue workers search for victims in Bento Rodrigues, Brazil, days after a dam burst on Nov. 8, 2015. FILE - Debris is visible after a dam burst at the small town of Bento Rodrigues in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2015. they say they could feel it coming. The birds stopped singing, the air grew heavy, and an unusual silence settled over their village in Minas Gerais, a southeastern Brazilian state where forested hills give way to the winding Doce River.A mining dam owned by Samarco — a joint venture between Brazilian company Vale and Anglo-Australian giant BHP Billiton — burst upstream near the town of Mariana, unleashing a torrent of toxic iron ore waste. It buried the nearby community of Bento Rodrigues and swept down the Doce River valley,For the Krenak people, who once relied on the river for food, rituals, and daily life, the damage was not just environmental but spiritual. “It was the saddest day for my people,” said Shirley Djukurnã Krenak, an Indigenous leader whose community has lived for generations along the Doce River. “We felt the death of the river before it arrived.” The Mariana disaster poured an estimated 40 million tons of mining waste into the Doce basin, devastating one of Brazil’s most ancient river systems, whose valley has shaped the landscape of Minas Gerais for millions of years. Ten years later, reconstruction and reparations have dragged on through legal disputes, and the river remains contaminated by heavy metals. Local communities say little has changed, even as Brazil strives to define itself as a leader of global climate policy while hosting the United Nation’s COP30 climate summit — an event some are skeptical will bring change.A test for Brazil’s climate credibility Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva now hopes to cement his reputation as a global environmental leader at COP30 in Belem, at the heart of the Amazon. Yet the unresolved legacy of Mariana and other recent policy moves reveal the distance between Brazil’s climate discourse and reality, according to Maurício Guetta, legal policy director at the advocacy group Avaaz. “It’s contradictory for a country that wants to lead on climate to keep approving laws that reduce protection for nature and Indigenous rights,” he said, adding that Indigenous territories are among the world’s most effective barriers against deforestation. Indigenous congresswoman Célia Xakriabá, who represents Minas Gerais, said the tragedy remains “a crime still in progress.” “The Doce River is still sick. The fish are contaminated, the people are ill, and children still ask when the river will be healed,” she said. “You can’t bring back 19 lives, and you can’t bring back a healthy river.” Xakriabá said the lack of justice for Mariana victims undermines Brazil’s credibility ahead of the summit. “It’s hard to talk about climate leadership when the state where this crime happened hasn’t even recovered,” she said. “True environmental policy starts with justice for those living the consequences.” After the 2015 collapse, the state of Minas Gerais weakened its environmental licensing laws — a move Guetta said directly contributed to the, the mine’s operator, and its owners, Vale and BHP, to fund social and environmental repairs. The record deal which will bring the total payment to 170 billion-reais includes aid for affected communities, but critics say deeper flaws in Brazil’s environmental governance remain. “The Mariana disaster showed how fragile Brazil’s system of environmental control really is,” Guetta said. “Instead of learning from it, we’ve seen a process of deregulation.”what activists call the “devastation bill,” which would relax environmental licensing nationwide. Environmentalists warn both threaten to undermine the country’s own climate goals under the Paris Agreement, the 2015 global pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming. Now, Brazil’s Congress is also considering a national bill that would further loosen oversight of mining and industrial projects and “practically dismantle Brazil’s environmental licensing system,” Guetta said. He added that Brazil’s environmental agencies remain underfunded and understaffed, even as mining and agribusiness expand deeper into fragile ecosystems.Krenak told The Associated Press that her community will not be attending COP30. She sees the climate summit as distant from the realities faced by Indigenous peoples and full of “greenwashing” and false promises. “If all the previous COPs had worked, we wouldn’t still be talking about crimes like this,” she said. Instead, she said, true climate action begins with protecting rivers and forests — and recognizing Indigenous territories. Anthropologist Ana Magdalena Hurtado, who has spent decades working with Indigenous communities in South America, said she shares that concern. “My worry is, this all looks very pretty, but the people who will walk away feeling wonderful are the urban academics and policymakers — not those living in remote territories,” said Hurtado, a professor of anthropology and global health at Arizona State University. She said dedicating space to Indigenous voices at COP30 is a welcome step, but warned that inclusion without follow-up can do more harm than good.“I still believe change is possible," Krenak said."That one day, our children will be able to drink a glass of water without fear of dying.”The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’sCopyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Family shares safety warning after minibike crash lands man in hospital with serious injuriesWeekend warm up before we're back to sweater weather early next weekLocals say SNAP funding disruption hampered ability to pay bills, partial funding not enoughRichard's Swing Makeover Pt. 6: Staining & sealing the slatsJaguars fans buzzing over nail-biting overtime victory in Las VegasMust watch: News4JAX reporter Caleb Yauger learns how to line danceFlorida and Georgia fans talk about what makes the rivalry specialJaden Weatherly with a 💣to Naeem Burroughs for the score!!Blink and you’ll miss him 👀 Speed kills 😤 Alexander Lee turns the corner and he’s GONE! 🦁Local barbeque joint lends helping hand to community affected by potential SNAP cutsHalloween Forecast: Cooler temps call for costume layers tonight
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