In 2006, zinc ore began to be mined in the Blaiken mine in Sorsele municipality.
Since then, the companies that tried to establish operations in the mine have gone bankrupt and hazardous metals have leaked into the nearby lake Storjuktan.
The bankruptcy estate has not been able to afford to clean up after the mine, which eventually landed on the state.
One million cubic meters will be covered
In 2018, it was decided that the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten would receive SEK 200 million for water treatment and after-treatment, and the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU) was appointed as the principal.
The clean-up takes place in stages and recently open pit B was covered.
Now the so-called Gråbergstippen will be finished.
- It is one million cubic meters of waste rock that will be covered, says Tobias Berglin, project manager at SGU.
Serious consequences without finishing
There has been a concern that zinc that leaks into Storjuktan will be harmful to the fish and wildlife in the lake, but the water treatment that the bankruptcy estate of the mining company began and since SGU took over has had an effect.
Trial fishing done in 2019 showed that it is not dangerous to eat fish from Storjuktan.
- Without water purification, the levels would have been significantly higher, which would lead to serious consequences, says Tobias Berglin.
Even if the consequences after the mine could have been greater, it will take many years before the public can stay in the area again.
- It is a wound in nature that must heal.