Raahen gold mine addressed environmental risks only after permits were revoked

The Laiva Gold mining company has corrected serious environmental issues at its Raahen mine only after its environmental permits were revoked, with the facility’s future now resting in the hands of the courts, reports Yle.

Production at the gold mine has been halted for over four years, but Laiva Gold aims to reopen operations this year amid record-high gold prices. According to the Finnish Permit and Supervision Authority (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto), the company has now completed nearly all required corrective measures—work that regulators say should have begun years earlier.

Delays left waste dam at risk of collapse
Senior inspector Juha Kangaskokko of the Permit and Supervision Authority told Yle that Laiva Gold failed to address environmental risks even during a protracted 1.5-year permit review by regional authorities. The company only took action after its environmental permits were revoked in 2023.

A critical risk had been the mine’s aging tailings dam, which had filled beyond capacity with rain and meltwater due to inadequate covering as required by permit conditions. Authorities warned that a dam failure could release heavy metals and arsenic into the surrounding environment. In autumn 2020, the situation grew so dire that contaminated water had to be pumped—without proper permits—to another waste area to prevent a spill.

The dam has since been covered with the required soil layers, though final vegetation work remains pending this summer.

Legal battle determines mine’s future
Laiva Gold has not responded to Yle’s requests for comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings. The company still lacks key closure and waste management plans, which Kangaskokko described as challenging to finalise due to long-standing data gaps.

The push to reopen the mine is driven by soaring gold prices. The simplest path forward would be if the Administrative Court overturns the permit revocation—a decision expected shortly. Even if the Vaasa Administrative Court upholds the revocation, Laiva Gold could appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court, potentially delaying enforcement for up to 1.5 years and allowing production to resume in the interim.