BHP Billiton says Brazil dam burst mud tailings chemically stable

An aerial view of the Rio Doce (Doce River), which was flooded with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, at an area where the river joins the sea on the coast of Espirito Santo in Regencia Village, Brazil, November 23, 2015. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - BHP Billiton said on Thursday that tailings in mud from a dam that burst at an iron ore mine in Brazil and polluted a major river were chemically stable and would not change their composition in water. The comments from BHP, which co-owns the mine's operator Samarco, came after the United Nations said mud from the dam burst was toxic. (Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)