EIA report on Terrafame’s mining operations published

• Opinions and statements on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report concerning Terrafame’s mining operations (i.e. production) can be submitted to the Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment until 24 October 2017.  
• As part of the feedback hearing for the report phase, a public event will be held at 6:00pm on 4 September in the ball games hall at Vuokatin Urheiluopisto in Iso-Pölly auditorium, at the address Opistontie 4.

The coordinating authority for Terrafame’s EIA procedure, the Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, has today announced an EIA report concerning Terrafame’s mining operations. The EIA report will be available for public viewing on the environmental administration’s website for 60 days, and opinions and statements on the report can be submitted to the Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment until 24 October 2017.

The EIA report is a report on the estimated impacts of various operating alternatives on e.g. land use, the landscape, air quality, fauna, noise, and on people’s living conditions, comfort, and livelihoods.

The report examines six different Terrafame operating alternatives:

• Continue mining operations in their current form (alternative 0)
• Continue mining operations in their current form, and develop operations (alternative 0+)
• Increase ore production and expand the primary leaching area (alternative 1a)
• In addition to alternative 1a’s production increase, a roaster will be added to the recovery process (alternative 1b)
• In addition to alternative 1b’s production increase, a smelter will also be added to the recovery process (alternative 1c)
• Cease mining operations and gradual, controlled closure of the mine (alternative 2)

The EIA procedure concerning mining operations does not assess impacts on waterways for discharge routes, as those impacts are dealt with in the water management EIA procedure begun in August 2016.

 

The newly published report is the second phase of the EIA procedure concerning mining operations

The environmental impacts of Terrafame’s mining operations are assessed in accordance with the Act on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure (Laki ympäristövaikutusten arviointimenettelystä, 252/2017).

The EIA report is the second phase of the EIA procedure and it assesses the environmental impacts of Terrafame’s mining operations. The report includes outlines of the alternatives to be assessed, the current state of the environment, the project alternatives’ environmental impacts and their significance, and a comparison of the assessed alternatives. In addition, the report also sets out methods to prevent and alleviate detrimental impacts.

The EIA procedure concerning mining operations will come to an end when the coordinating authority submits its statement on the EIA report to Terrafame within two months from the submission of opinions and statements. The EIA report will later be attached to the environmental permit application concerning all of Terrafame’s operations.

 

Background to the EIA procedure concerning Terrafame’s mining operations

On 9 May 2017, the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) issued a decision on Terrafame’s key environmental permits and upheld the decisions issued by the Vaasa Administrative Court (VAC) on 28 April 2016, according to which Terrafame must apply for a new environmental permit by 31 August 2017.

In order to apply for a new environmental permit, Terrafame Ltd. began two EIA procedures in 2016; one concerns water management and the other concerns the continuation and development of mining operations or the alternative of closure. Two separate EIA procedures were begun because there was a desire to initiate the water management assessment procedure as soon as possible after the decision issued by the VAC in spring 2016. At that time, the VAC limited the sulphate quota for the discharge pipe to 15,000 tonnes per year, which Terrafame considered to be insufficient in the challenging water situation. The EIA procedure concerning mining operations on the other hand required long-term planning from the company, and for this reason the assessment was begun slightly later on.

The EIA procedure concerning mining operations will come to an end when the coordinating authority submits its statement on the assessment report to Terrafame. The statement is expected in late 2017.

 

A public event will be held in Sotkamo on 4 September 2017

The EIA procedure is an open process in which residents and other interest groups have the opportunity to participate. All interested parties can now participate in the project by presenting their views on the EIA report to the coordinating authority, the Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.

An information and discussion event open to the general public concerning the EIA report on Terrafame’s mining operations will be held at 6:00pm on Monday, 4 September in the ball games hall at Vuokatin Urheiluopisto, in Iso-Pölly auditorium, at the address Opistontie 4. The assessment report will be presented at the event and the public will be offered the opportunity to give their views on the environmental impact assessment. The event will begin with coffee at 5:30pm.

 

In order for opinions and statements to be given, the EIA report on mining operations is available for viewing from 25 August until 23 October 2017 at:

• The Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Kalliokatu 4
• Kajaani town hall, Pohjolankatu 13
• Sotkamo municipal government office, Markkinatie 1
• Paltamo municipality, Vaarankyläntie 7
• Sonkajärvi municipality, Rutakontie 28
• and online at the address: www.ymparisto.fi/terrafametuotantoYVA

Opinions and statements on the EIA report can be submitted to the Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment by 24 October 2017 to the address kirjaamo.kainuu@ely-keskus.fi or by post to Kainuun ELY-keskus, PL 115, FI-87101 Kajaani, visiting address Kalliokatu 4. There is an feedback form at www.ymparisto.fi/terrafametuotantoYVA that can be filled in and returned to the Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.

Click here to view the EIA report on Terrafame’s mining operations (in Finnish)

Attachments to the report can be found at the above mentioned address.

 

Further information is available via e-mail:

Environmental Manager Elina Salmela, Terrafame Ltd., elina.salmela(at)terrafame.fi

EIA Coordinator Jaana Koivumaa, Terrafame Ltd., jaana.koivumaa(at)terrafame.fi

 

Media contact information:

Chief Communications Officer Katri Kauppila, Terrafame Ltd., katri.kauppila(at)terrafame.fi

 

Terrafame Ltd. is a Finnish multi-metal company producing nickel, zinc and cobalt at its mine and metals production plant located in Sotkamo. Our goal is to conduct environmentally sustainable, safe and profitable operations.