Reopening comes after the Justice Institutions requested a new opportunity to access compensation under the New Rio Doce Agreement; high demand marks the first day

The Definitive Compensation Program (PID) registered 1,505 applications on the first day of the platform’s reopening, which began on May 18. The new phase runs through July 1, 2026, following a request from the Brazilian Justice Institutions, and provides access for eligible individuals and companies that had not previously accessed the platform, as well as applicants whose claims were closed because an invalid power of attorney had been submitted.

About 71% of the applications in the first hours after reopening are from people who were unable to move forward with the compensation claim previously submitted because an invalid power of attorney had been submitted. In addition to those whose previous claim was closed because their power of attorney was deemed invalid, the reopening also covers people who previously started a claim and rejected the compensation offer, missed the deadline to accept the offer, or failed to correct issues with their identification documents and proof of address within the deadline.

Applications to the program may be submitted through the Public Defender’s Office, which provides free assistance, or through a private attorney with a valid power of attorney. The 5% attorneys’ fees provided for in the New Rio Doce Agreement will be paid by Samarco, with no deductions from the compensation amount. Any additional amounts agreed upon as attorneys’ fees will not be paid by the company.

The eligibility criteria follow the parameters defined in the New Rio Doce Agreement. Among them are being at least 16 years old on the date of the Fundão dam collapse, having requested registration with the now-defunct Renova Foundation by December 31, 2021, having filed a lawsuit by October 26, 2021, or having entered the NOVEL system by September 29, 2023, without a previously executed agreement.

303,000 people compensated by the PID

The PID is the main compensation channel under the New Rio Doce Agreement and provides for individual compensation of BRL 35,000 for eligible individuals and legal entities. As of April 2026, more than 303,000 compensation payments had already been made by the program, with disbursements exceeding BRL 11.2 billion, an amount that boosts local economies in the eligible areas.