Mining concession for Boliden’s deposit in Laver rejected
The Chief Mining Inspector has decided to reject Boliden’s application for a mining concession for the deposit in Laver. The grounds for this decision are that a Natura 2000 permit for extracting the deposit has to be obtained before the concession can be granted. Boliden’s opinion is that such a permit assessment should take place after the mining concession has been granted, and that the Chief Mining Inspector’s decision sets a new precedent. This point of law has not been tried before. Boliden is therefore considering appealing the decision to the Government.
“We welcome the imposition of tough demands on the mining industry, but at the same time feel that the processes surrounding the development of deposits in Sweden are becoming increasingly unpredictable. This is unsustainable in the long term for the supply of raw materials in Europe,” says Mikael Staffas, President Boliden Mines.
In 2014, Boliden applied for a mining concession for the deposit in Laver, Norrbotten. The Chief Mining Inspector has now decided to reject this application on the grounds that a Natura 2000 permit has to be obtained before the concession can be granted. Boliden’s opinion is that the Natura 2000 permit assessment should be co-ordinated with the environmental permit assessment, and that the Chief Mining Inspector’s decision sets a new precedent. Boliden is therefore considering appealing the Chief Mining Inspector’s decision to the Government.
Boliden still has an exploration permit for the Laver deposit, which entails exclusive rights to map the bedrock’s properties as well as priority to the deposit.
For more information, please contact:
Boliden Group Communications
tel.: +46 8 610 16 30
Sophie Arnius, Director Investor Relations,
tel.: +46 8 610 15 23, +46 70 590 8072
Boliden is a metals company with a focus on sustainable development. Scandinavian roots, global market. Our core competence lies within the fields of exploration, mining, smelting and metal recycling. Boliden has more than 5,500 employees and an annual turnover of SEK 40 billion. The stock is listed in the Large Cap segment on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm.
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