BHP faces UK contempt charge for funding case over Brazil dam collapse

LONDON (Reuters) -BHP faces a full contempt of court hearing in Britain for funding litigation to try to prevent some Brazilian municipalities suing the mining giant over one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters, London's High Court ruled on Thursday. Thursday's ruling is the latest development in long-running litigation over the collapse in 2015 of the Mariana dam in southeastern Brazil that was owned and operated by BHP and Vale's Samarco joint venture. Judge Adam Constable said it was arguable that BHP, the world's biggest miner by market value, funded Brazilian litigation to stop the municipalities suing in London "with the purpose ... of interfering with the administration of justice".