Arjeplog says no to Norwegian-Chinese mine on Nasafjäll

- Based on the decision basis that the company has produced and shown and the environmental impact descriptions that have been made, we cannot see that the problems surrounding the reindeer industry have been solved. Therefore, we do not favor a mining establishment with these documents. But we have tried to be balanced so come up with better evidence we can look at it again, says Britta Flinkfeldt, chair of the municipal council in Arjeplog (S).

Nasafjäll is located in Rana municipality in Norway and borders Arjeplog municipality. The conflict around the mountain began many years ago when the company, Elkem Salten, submitted an application to extract quartz. Both Swedish and Norwegian reindeer herders are affected by the plans as they have their pastures on and around the mountain.

Elkem hopes to be able to open the mine in 2020 but so far nothing is clear and the issue is currently out on a referral. The Norwegian Ministry of Industry and Fisheries has given Arjeplog the municipality the opportunity to comment, and in early January the municipality's opinion was submitted to the Norwegian authority.

In its opinion, the municipality of Arjeplog writes, inter alia, that: "does not consider that the impact assessment thoroughly investigated how disturbances and losses can be prevented and minimized or how appropriate compensation and injury mitigation measures for the reindeer industry can be designed."

The municipality concludes the opinion by saying no to the mining plans on the basis of today's decision basis: "Against the above background and on the basis of existing decision basis presented in the form of impact analysis for reindeer husbandry and previous environmental impact assessment, Arjeplog's municipality cannot at present recommend that the extraction of quartz fuel can be prevented.

In the clip above you can hear more about how Arjeplog Municipality thinks about the company's foundation for the planned quartz mine at Nasafjäll in Norway.