Basic HTML Version
Hertz MiniLeasing
Tailor-made just for you
Hertz MiniLeasing is flexible
and risk-free without long term
commitments and is a great
solution for:
• Various mining project work
• Temporary additions to your
company’s fleet
• Short term solution for new
company employee
Minimum rental period is only
1 month and you can choose any
car from our fleet from small
cars to cargo vans.
hertz.fi
L
ast spring, the Finnish Govern-
ment approved the sustainable
mining industry programme,
which was drafted in coope-
ration with the Ministry of the
Environment and the Ministry
of Employment and the Economy. The mi-
ning industry itself also took part in the draf-
ting of the programme, along with interest
groups and other central operators, ranging
from reindeer herders to environmentalists
and the Association of the Finnish Extractive
Resources Industry.
But what kind of mining industry is Fin-
land after? What kinds of criteria for sus-
tainable mining operations does the sustai-
nable mining industry programme lay out for
the industry?
From the perspective of mining opera-
tions, two requirements rise above all ot-
hers: mining operations must take environ-
mental issues into account in an exemplary
manner, and the mining operator must have
social approval for the operations.
In Finland, starting mining operations
requires numerous permits and approvals
from the authorities. However, social appro-
val is in many ways much more important
than any official permit. Social approval
means that the local community, residents
and other operators approve of the mining
company’s presence and operations in the
area. The operator must not only maintain
this approval for as long as the company
carries out operations in the area, but also
maintain it for the duration of any additional
work resulting from decommissioning.
Mining operations and prospecting in Fin-
land are mainly centred in the eastern and
northern parts of the country. Even though
Lapland and eastern Finland are sparsely
populated areas, they are by no means de-
void of human presence: in every area there
are reindeer herders, tourism entrepreneurs
or owners of holiday homes whose lives will
be affected by a new mine. In addition to
this, the sites that the mining industry va-
lues the highest are more often than not the
same sites that the tourism industry and na-
ture conservationists find important for their
own reasons. This inevitably leads to real
conflicts of interest.
A good environmental reputation is an es-
sential part of a company’s competitiveness.
When a company does not take appropriate
action to take care of environmental issues,
the market is the first to react. One mista-
ke is all it takes to lose one’s environmental
reputation, and regaining it can require tre-
mendous effort.
No two mines in the world are alike. Con-
sequently, the environmental impacts of
a mine are dependent on the production
technology used, the minerals being mined,
the geological properties of the area and nu-
merous other factors.
Are the environmental considerations of
currently operating mines in order? Do they
operate in accordance with legislation and
the permits they have been issued with?
How have they prepared for environmental
risks? These are just some of the questions
that will soon be answered when the results
of the mine stress tests initiated by the Mi-
nistry of the Environment are released. The
stress tests cover most Finnish mines, in-
cluding all metal ore mines. The tests were
prepared in cooperation with research insti-
tutes and relevant ministries.
The mining industry itself has reacted po-
sitively to the commencement of the tests.
They too want to show that everything is in
order.
HANNELE POKKA
Permanent Secretary
The challenges of environmental
considerations in the mining industry