Background
Kaunis Iron owns and operates an iron ore mine in Pajala, Sweden. In 2022, the land and environmental court granted the company permission to expand their operations at the Tapuli, Sahavaara, Palotieva mines and the Kaunisvaara enrichment plant.
Assignment
Efterklang was assigned to participate in the permit application, to report on existing external noise levels, and propose noise mitigation that could be implemented to minimize the impact. The entire work was presented at the main hearing and how the recommended noise levels from The Swedish Environmental Protection can be maintained for existing and expanded operations.
Result
In 2022, the land and environmental court granted Kaunis Iron’s application for expanded operations. The permit is valid for 35 years and includes mining of a maximum of 10 million tons of iron ore per year, equivalent to about 4 million tons of iron concentrate. The ruling secures over 500 long-term jobs in Pajala, which is extremely significant. This also means that Kaunis Iron can proceed with all investment plans that generate even more job opportunities for entrepreneurs in the region.
