Most experts are fairly in agreement that drinking water risks deteriorating if Cementa is allowed to continue with its limestone mining.

"The applied activity is thus not permissible according to Chapter 5, Section 4 of the Environmental Code," writes, for example, the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU) in its consultation response.

But there are exceptions that can be used.

And the limestone mining in Slite is so important for the whole society because in the short term there is no other limestone available, according to SGU, which thus approves Cementa's permit to continue with its operations.

But only on condition that the company mitigates the effects on groundwater.

Knocked down like a bomb

It was last summer that Cementa ended up in the spotlight and the major consequences involved - a cement shortage threatens to paralyze Construction Sweden.

The Supreme Land and Environmental Court nobbed the company's application to continue mining limestone in Slite on northeastern Gotland.

After the threat of mass warnings in the construction industry, which is in great need of cement and concrete, the government felt compelled to produce a new law.

It is with the law, which was hastily drawn up a few months ago and which formally came into force on 15 October, that Cementa submitted a new application which was submitted for consultation before the government is expected to make a decision in November.

Other consultative bodies are tougher than SGU.

The County Administrative Board on Gotland thinks that the consultation period is too short to be able to take a position on the application, and the question marks are so many that a possible permit in such cases should be limited to a maximum of twelve months, not three years as Cementa wants.

The Swedish Maritime Administration points out that Cementa has not taken all measures to mitigate the negative occurrences of water quality.

Should be rejected

The Water Authority for the Southern Baltic Sea is more outspoken in its criticism and overall thinks that the environmental assessment has the same shortcomings as in the application that the Supreme Land and Environmental Court previously rejected.

As before, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency considers that the investigation into the environmental consequences is so deficient that the new permit application should also be rejected.

Several of the critical authorities also point to the increased noise that will occur when Cementa intends to collect large amounts of limestone from Nordkalk's quarry, 16 kilometers north.

This is expected to involve additional truck transports to and from Slite, corresponding to one truck approximately every 11 minutes in each direction, according to the Swedish Transport Administration's consultation response.

Region Gotland has always been positive about the limestone quarry and "nothing has emerged that gives the Region reason to now reconsider its attitude".

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That is why the lime issue is so infected on Gotland - SVT's reporter explains.