Demand for mining permits has increased due to major projects

If in 2017 the Environmental Board granted 69 mining permits, 52 permits have already been granted or modified during the first eight months of this year and interest in mining is continuously increasing.The Environmental Board issues mining permits across Estonia to coordinate the sparing and sustainable use of mineral resources and to alleviate the environmental impact of mining. While in the period 2013-2017 it was issued an average of 66 mining permits per year, last year the interest of companies in mining increased significantly – in 2018 it was issued 129 new or modified mining permits. In the first eight months of this year, 52 mining permits have already been granted or modified. Majority of them give the right to extract construction minerals (sand, gravel, limestone) in Pärnu and Harju counties, so it may be concluded that the interest in mining has increased due to the construction of the Rail Baltic route.“The intensified mining is apprently raising questions in the local community. It is therefore necessary to clarify the risks involved in mining and the requirements set by the Environmental Board to reduce such risks. It is important for us to maintain and protect mining areas from negative environmental impacts. That is the purpose we impose strict requirements on permits to prevent and reduce environmental interference, such as water protection and noise mitigation. Compliance is mandatory for the miner," explained Martin Nurme, Manager of the Earth's Crust Bureau of the Environmental Board.Demand has increased mainly for the extraction of construction materials, which may be associated not only with Rail Baltic but also to road construction and residential development projects. Currently, 725 mining permits are in force in Estonia – most of them are issued to the Road Administration (32), AS TREV-2 Grupp (29) and AS Eesti Teed (23). Developers AS YIT Eesti (23) and AS Tariston (20) also hold an important number of mining permits. Yet, there are also a number of people interested in mining who are denied permission, for example, due to environmental reasons or local government opposition.The workload of the specialists of the Environmental Board has also escalated for the reason of the increasing necessity to control the maintenance of mined areas. Namely, the Board imposes an obligation on each miner to make the site environmentally and technologically appropriate and safe for the environment. Former quarries are often turned into beautiful recreational areas for swimming and water sports. Last year, five former quarries were reorganized under the terms of the Environmental Board, and 18 the last before last year. The former sand and gravel quarries in Ida-Viru, Saare and Lääne-Viru counties, where there has been more mining in the past, have been most reorganized. A list of reorganized quarries may be found on the Environmental Board's website. Applications for all mining permits have been published on the Environmental Board's website.In order to facilitate access to information, we have also put together a series of frequently asked questions about earth’s crust.Further information:Martin NurmeManager of the Earth's Crust Bureau of the Environmental Boarde-mail: martin.nurme@keskkonnaamet.ee telephone: 5693 3839Sille AderSpokesperson for the Environmental Board e-mail: sille.ader@keskkonnaamet.ee telephone: 5745 0332