Norwegian environmentalists have stepped up their efforts to prevent dumping of mine waste in pristine Norwegian fjords. Young activists are ready for civil disobedience as Nordic Mining prepares to start construction by the Førdefjord in Sunnfjord, western Norway.
Last week, activists from Naturvernforbundet / Friends of the Earth Norway, Natur og Ungdom / Young Friends of the Earth Norway, and other environmental organizations set up camp on the shores of the Førdefjord in order to stop Nordic Mining’s Engebø garnet and rutile mine.
The activists are ready to use civil disobedience to prevent the company from demolishing houses and building roads to prepare for the project. Nordic Mining is expected to start activities within the next two weeks.
Gina Gylver, head of Natur og Ungdom, said:
We have established a base by the Førdefjord and people are coming from all parts of Norway and abroad. The locals are very supportive and provide housing, food, and transport. More than four thousand people have signed up to participate in the civil disobedience action.
How did we get there?
In 2015, Nordic Mining was granted permission to deposit a total of 250 million tonnes of mining waste in the Førdefjord, or four million tonnes each year. In 2020, the company received an operating license. The following year, it was granted permission to release SIBX into the fjord.
Naturvernforbundet, Natur og Ungdom, and twelve other organizations, have submitted complaints challenging the operating permit for Nordic Mining’s project. While mining operations cannot start until the complaint is resolved, the company was granted permission in February to start construction of the processing plant.
Truls Gulowsen, head of Naturvernforbundet said:
The government must withdraw the permits so that this environmentally harmful project can be stopped. The Førdefjord must be preserved, clean and rich in species as it is now, for future generations. The fjord has valuable spawning grounds for fish and is home to many red listed species such as coastal cod, sea eagles, and orca families. This is one of the few remaining fjords in Western Norway with an intact and fully functioning ecosystem.
Submarine tailing disposal
Extracting rutile produces tailings. In other words, mining waste. Nordic Mining plans on using the method known as “submarine tailing disposal” to dump the tailings at the bottom of the Førdefjorden.
Norway is one of very few countries in the world that still allows dumping of mining waste in the sea. A few years ago, Chilean courts ordered an end to stop such disposal. Indonesia pledged not to grant new permits for submarine tailings disposal permits following pressure from communities and downstream users. Now only Norway and Papua New Guinea are allowing new projects based on this method.
The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) is now assessing whether dumping of mining waste in fjords violates the European Union’s directives on water quality and mineral waste. Their preliminary opinion is that the permits granted for ocean dumping in the Førdefjord and the Repparfjord are in breach of the Mineral Waste Directive and the EEA Agreement.
There are many indications that the projects also contravene the EU Water Framework Directive. ESA is not satisfied with previous answers from Norway. In February, they published a public request for further information on how marine mine waste dumping will affect the water bodies in the fjord systems.
A strong opposition to the project
The Førdefjord is a designated National Wild Salmon Fjord, critical for the protection of wild salmon and an important seafood fjord for Norway and abroad.
The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, affiliated with the Norwegian Government, has advised against dumping mining waste in the Førdefjord. The protests from the fishing, seafood and tourism industries, as well as environmental organizations have been strong and united.
There is also great opposition to the mining project locally; 60 local businesses have signed a petition against the mining project. Sunnfjord municipality has also spoken out against the marine mine waste dumping.
As well as a united national environmental movement, 34 international environmental organizations have reached out to the Norwegian Government requesting a stop to the plans of dumping mining waste into the Førdefjord.
Finally, the majority of the Norwegian population is opposed to ocean dumping. According to a survey conducted by Norstat in December 2021, 80 percent say no to mining companies being allowed to deposit waste materials in the sea, as planned in the Førdefjord and the Repparfjord. Only 9 percent support the projects.
Friends of the Earth Europe joins Naturvernforbundet’s call to the Norwegian government to stop this irrational, non-sustainable mining project. To read more about Friends of the Earth Europe’s broader position on mining and consumption, take a look at our report “Green Mining is a Myth: the case for cutting EU resource consumption”.
