The new Finnish Mining Act (621/2011) entered into force on 1 July 2011. The Act increased regulation of mining safety aspects and set new obligations for operators within the mining industry. Certain new duties also apply to existing mining operations. Section 181 of the Act provides that within two years from the entry into force of the Mining Act, all mining permit holders need to file a report to the Mining Authority on how mining safety requirements have been taken into consideration in their operations. The issues which need to be covered in the report are provided in Section 21 of the Decree on Mining Safety (1571/2011).
The deadline for filing the report is 30 June 2013.
The Mining Authority will use the report as a basis for amending the stipulations in mining permits by giving provisions regarding mining safety. Moreover, stipulations regarding the closing down of mining operations and security requirements will be given by the Mining Authority. All these stipulations are due by 30 June 2014.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
