BRASILIA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Brazil has accepted the criminal charges brought by prosecutors against four companies and 22 employees for a burst tailings dam at the Samarco mine last November, the G1 news site reported on Friday.
Prosecutors last month accused Samarco, its joint-venture owners Vale SA VALE5.SA and BHP Billiton BLT.L , and consultant VogBR of environmental crimes, while employees were accused of homicide for the disaster that killed 19 people and polluted a major river.