Sakatti Mining is negotiating with multiple landowners to acquire damaged bog land as part of its plans for mining operations in Finland's Natura-protected Viiankiaava.
Sakatti Mining, which is planning to establish a mine in the Natura-protected Viiankiaava area, is currently in talks with several dozen landowners in Sodankylä to buy bog land that has been degraded, primarily due to previous land drainage activities intended for forest growth. The company's strategy involves restoring these areas as a way to compensate for the environmental damage anticipated from the extraction of copper and nickel in Viiankiaava. The Finnish government requires that sufficient compensatory measures be established before allowing any exemptions from Natura protection regulations.
The company's CEO, Pertti Lamberg, indicated that they are targeting over a thousand hectares of bog land along the borders of Viiankiaava. Approximately several dozen private landowners currently own the land, and negotiations are underway to secure land purchases. While the situation varies among landowners, Lamberg believes that interest in selling is promising based on the current negotiations, although no agreements have been finalized yet.
Sakatti Mining's ability to obtain the necessary land agreements is crucial, as failure to provide adequate compensations could hinder the government from granting the necessary exemptions for mining in a protected area. There are potential implications for local ecosystems and community interests, which are always at stake in discussions surrounding mining in protected zones.
