Pekka Jaatinen, the administrator overseeing the re-structuring of Talvivaara, has urged the Vaasa Administrative Court to allow the troubled mining company to discharge more emissions into the environment in a bid to support its quest for an industrial partner and additional financing.
A decision not to relax the discharge limit for sulphate could according to Jaatinen jeopardise environmental safety at the Sotkamo-based mine as well as the ongoing re-structuring procedure.
A decision to lower the discharge limit, in contrast, would further complicate both water management at the mine and the ongoing negotiations with investors.
The annual discharge quota for sulphate is set to decrease from 12,000 tonnes to 1,300 tonnes under the environmental permit granted to Talvivaara. YLE estimates that last year alone the mining company released a total of 24,000 tonnes of sulphate into the environment.
HS
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Photo: Kimmo Rauatmaa / Lehtikuva