A few years of mining can generate waste that causes environmental problems for several generations to come. Thus it is important that the handling of mining waste is long-term sustainable. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency may participate in the environmental permitting processes of mining activities. We also take part in the development of legislation and guidance in this field.
Sweden has a long history as a mining nation. Interest in mining and the opening of new mines has increased with rising metal prices. There were 15 mines in operation in Sweden in 2006, of which Garpenberg is the oldest and dates back to the 9th century. It is primarily iron, copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold that are extracted.
Two different kinds of permits are required to operate a mine; one is stipulated in legislation used to regulate the prospecting and mining of minerals, and the other in legislation used to regulate the environmental impact of the operation.
Legislation which regulates the prospecting and mining of minerals
Concession minerals, as stated in the Swedish Mineral Act, are extracted from mines. The Minerals Act (SFS 1991:45) and the Environmental Code (SFS 1998:808) with ordinances regulate the exploration and extraction of concession minerals. An application for an exploration permit and exploitation concession is submitted in accordance with the Mineral Ordinance to the Mining Inspector. Mining of other substances than concession minerals is referred to as non-metallic mining or quarries (in Swedish 'täktverksamhet').
A guide to prospecting in protected areas has been developed by the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU) in consultation with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. More information is available on the SGU website.
Legislation regulating the environmental impact of mining activities
The Environmental Code regulates the environmental permitting of mining activities. Swedish legislation requires that those who plan to run an operation, such as a mine, have all the required knowledge of the potential environmental impact of the operation. This is stipulated as the “requisite of knowledge” in Chapter 2 of the Swedish Environmental Code.
The authority permitting specific environmentally hazardous activities is stated in the appendix to the Ordinance concerning Environmentally Hazardous Activities and The Protection of Public Health (1998:899). A fundamental part of the permitting process deals with the handling and disposal of waste.
An EU directive on the management of waste from extractive industries (2006/21/EC) went into effect 1 May 2006 and has been implemented in Swedish legislation by 1 September 2008 through Utvinningsavfallsförordningen (SFS 2008:722). The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has taken part in the process of the development of the directive from start and is also participating in the final parts of its development which are taking place in the prescriptive Technical Adaptation Committee (TAC).
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in the environmental permitting process of mining activities
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency can participate in the environmental permitting process of mining activities as an expert authority to which the permitting authority send the applications for review, or as a party in the Environmental Court. The focus of our participation is on principally important issues.
An important part of the consideration of mining activities is to ensure the long-term safe disposal of the mining waste. The time perspective is usually very long, i.e. thousands of years or until the next ice age. Besides the direct environmental concerns it serves to ensure that coming generations will not have to invest heavily in the remediation of environmental problems associated with today's mining waste.
Demands for remediation and financial guarantees
In order to obtain a permit to dispose of waste the operator must submit a plan for closure with the application and make provisions for a financial guarantee that covers the costs to the society for remediation in the event that the operator is for any reason unable to fulfil obligations. (funds readily available at any given time)
Mining waste which cannot be exposed to air
In wastes containing sulphides these oxidise and generate sulphuric acid when they are exposed to air. Metal leaching is in addition a result. Together this generates the largest environmental problems from waste from mining activities. Wastes containing sulphides need to be protected from being exposed to air. Water is generally use as a barrier against air, either as pore water in soil or as a full water saturation of the waste with a free water surface above the waste.
Less impact is expected in the event of damage to the construction with a qualified soil cover than with a water cover where damage can cause the loss of the water cover with major short and long-term consequences. With water covers the operator will also to be responsible for the function of the dam as long as water is dammed; in this case the thousand year perspective is relevant. Both dry cover and water cover are included in EU Reference Document on Best Available Techniques for Management of Tailings and Waste-Rock in Mining Activities.
Remediation of mining waste
The cost today of rehabilitating identified old mining areas and mining waste is estimated to between 2 and 3 billion Swedish kronor, of which a major portion need to be covered by the Swedish government. The county administrative boards draws up an inventory of contaminated sites which include today approximately 600 mining areas. Of these sites approximately 30 have been assessed as a very high environmental and health risk (risk class 1) and approximately 100 as a high environmental and health risk (risk class 2).