Following the Supreme Administrative Court's decision, another step has been taken towards an iron ore mine in Kallak.
We have had a timetable that we have worked on unchanged. This gives us the security to continue, says Johan Röstin, chairman of the board for the mining company Beowulf.
The verdict means that the processing concession granted to Jokkmokk Iron, a wholly-owned subsidiary of British Beowulf, by the government in 2022 remains in place.
While the legal process has been ongoing between the state and the appealing parties – the Nature Conservation Association and local Sami villages – the mining company has continued to work in the area.
We are extremely pleased with this decision, which is very thorough and detailed. We haven't wanted to speculate about it, but just let it take its course, says Johan Röstin.
First Quarter
The work on, among other things, environmental studies and completing an application for environmental permits with the Land and Environment Court will continue into next year.
The idea is that we will submit everything during the first quarter of next year, says Johan Röstin and continues:
We are doing all the inventories that one can do and we have employed a local person in Jokkmokk who is driving the project forward and keeping it together.
The processing concession is subject to twelve conditions and a dialogue with the Sami villages is ongoing.
"Many Affected"
UNESCO has criticised the mining plans for threatening natural values in the Laponia World Heritage Site.
How do you view the concern?
One should remember that it is over three miles to the nearest UNESCO area by air. But there are many affected. If I am to be self-critical, we have been poor at local communication and transparency. That is what we are working on now, says Johan Röstin, who took office as chairman of the board in November 2022.
At the same time, Jokkmokk Iron and Beowulf have had a couple of turbulent years with rapid changes in leadership and the board.
Will there be a mine, are the conditions in place to achieve it?
Absolute, otherwise we wouldn't be doing this.
