Sodankylä threatens fines over Kakslauttas resort’s persistent waste violations

The municipality of Sodankylä will impose conditional fines on the Kakslauttas tourism resort if it fails to clean up illegal waste stockpiles and submit a soil remediation plan by early September, Yle reports.

Inspections have repeatedly found improperly stored waste—including construction debris, wood scraps, metal, and electronics—scattered across the resort’s grounds, some piled near a planned skating rink. Despite multiple cleanup orders, the site remains partially uncleared, with only one of several waste storage areas addressed since the first directive in autumn 2023.

Owner Juhani Eiramo was convicted in 2020 of aggravated environmental pollution for illegally burning and burying large volumes of waste between 2013 and 2018. Environmental authorities have continued to receive complaints about the resort’s waste management since the ruling.

The municipality’s environmental board will decide on the conditional fine—starting at €5,000 and increasing by €500 per month—during its Wednesday meeting. A final ruling is expected in September.

“We must trust the legal tools at our disposal,” said acting environmental chief Tommi Maasilta, acknowledging the slow pace of enforcement proceedings.