Brazilian Judge Antonio Lucio Tulio de Oliveira Barbosa has ordered the suspension of mining operations and environmental licences at Sigma Lithium’s Grota do Cirilo mine in Minas Gerais, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters.
The order was issued following a civil lawsuit filed by the Federation of Quilombola Communities of Minas Gerais, which claimed the mine’s activities affect the Bau Quilombola Community, a protected traditional community of African descent.
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In his decision, the judge stated that there was sufficient evidence to show that the Bau territory fell within the direct area of influence of the mine.
This determination triggers requirements for a free, prior and informed consultation with the affected community.
The judge cited risks to the community from ongoing blasting and earth-moving operations, located a few kilometres from the Bau territory.
Studies referenced in the decision indicate that the territory is around 2.7km from the mine’s directly affected area. This distance falls within the 8km threshold that requires more extensive licensing procedures for projects near Quilombola communities.
Sigma Lithium has maintained that its project lies outside the required impact zone.
The court has ordered an independent georeferencing expert to determine the precise distance between the mine and the Bau community.
In addition to suspending all current environmental licences, the ruling prevents the state of Minas Gerais from issuing new ones and sets a fine for Sigma Lithium if operations continue.
Grota do Cirilo is Sigma’s only active mine, with a nameplate production capacity of 330,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of lithium oxide concentrate.
The company has not responded to requests for comments by Reuters.
Sigma Lithium owns and operates the Grota do Cirilo site, a hard-rock lithium mining and processing facility.
The first phase of operations began in 2023 and is designed to produce 270,000tpa of lithium concentrate.
The company’s board has approved a second phase of expansion, currently under construction, which is set to almost double the site’s output.
