In the clip above, you see how the dumping could go.



It is about six kilometers of fairway that will be dredged to make the area in the harbor entrance four meters deeper, to a depth of 17.5 meters.

This means that 13.5 million cubic meters of clay must be excavated.

According to calculations, about two percent is contaminated clay, which means about 285,000 cubic meters.

The clay contains, among other things, mercury, copper and tributyltin (Tbt), which in the past were available in base colors for boats but which are banned today.

Application process in progress

- We have made extensive investigations and assessed the environmental risks.

They show that this can be done without inconvenience to human health or the marine environment, says Kristina Bernstén, sub-project manager environment Skandiaporten, Port of Gothenburg AB.

According to her, investigations were made of the marine environment after dredging in the port of Gothenburg last time, which took place between 2002 and 2004. At that time, approximately the same amount of clay masses were picked up and dumped in a slightly shallower area, also near Vinga.

How the fish stock was affected at that time is unclear.

The Land and Environment Court

- We did not follow the fish stock as such after that dredging, but we followed up the organisms that are in the sediments at the site and how they were affected.

We saw that, for example, crayfish were re-established within six months after the clay masses were laid out.

The Port of Gothenburg has applied to the Land and Environmental Court for permission to dump the clay off the island of Vinga in Gothenburg.

A process that is expected to continue until the beginning of next year.

No from authorities

In a response to the land and environmental court, both the County Administrative Board and the Swedish Maritime Administration say no to the Port of Gothenburg and the Swedish Maritime Administration's application for an exemption from the ban on dumping waste in the sea.

According to the County Administrative Board, sufficient investigations have not been carried out at the dumping site and it can therefore not be ruled out that the toxic waste is spreading and damaging the environment.

The Swedish Maritime Administration states the same thing and that it is not compatible with the legislation to have a landfill at sea.