Samarco bondholders rebuff restructuring plan, new proposals expected

Reconstruction efforts at the Fundão tailings dam in 2017. (Image courtesy of BHP.)

A group representing two-thirds of bondholders in Brazilian miner Samarco have rejected a restructuring offer put forth by the company, though both sides are expected to offer fresh proposals, according to separate statements released on Monday.

Samarco, a joint venture between BHP Group and Brazil’s Vale SA, was granted bankruptcy protection by a Brazilian court in April and has been negotiating with bondholders since.

A previous proposal put forth by the company was rejected by bondholders in July.

A tailings dam at a Samarco-owned mine burst in 2015, killing 19 and provoking a severe environmental disaster. The mine has only recently begun operating again, leaving Samarco with a considerable debt load.

(By Marta Nogueira, Carolina Mandl and Gram Slattery; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

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