MARIANA, Brazil, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Brazilian public prosecutors secured a court injunction on Tuesday that requires the Vale-BHP joint iron ore venture Samarco to undertake emergency measures to mitigate environmental damage after the project's dam unleashed a flood of mud.
In a statement, the prosecutors in Espirito Santo, a state next to Minas Gerais state where the accident occurred, said Samarco, in combination with the state's environment ministry and regional sewage and water services, must take action in a timely manner or pay fines of up to 50,000 reais ($13,000) an hour.
One of the services Samarco is required to provide to mitigate the impact of the collapse of the tailings dam is to provide a helicopter to fly over the Rio Doce region to track the descent of the mud downstream.
($1 = 3.8 reais)