Vale Stops Production at Amazon Nickel Mine

Vale (NYSE:VALE) halted production at its Onça Puma nickel mine in the Amazon, Reuters reported. The operations are seeing regular protests and legal action due to disputed payments to indigenous communities in the area.
As quoted in the publication:

Onça Puma, in Ourilândia do Norte, is part of a complex of mines operated by Vale in the state’s Carajas region. The mine produced 5,900 tonnes of finished nickel in the second quarter, or about 8.8 percent of Vale’s finished-nickel output.
The most common protest by indigenous groups has involved blocking Vale’s rail line between Carajas and the Atlantic Ocean.
As part of its ruling, the court ordered Vale, the world’s second-largest nickel producer, to deposit 1 million reais ($287,000) for each indigenous village in the area until it establishes a compensation program for the communities.

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