Taivalkoski backs mine over old-forest protection

Taivalkoski is backing a planned mine it considers vital for jobs, despite concerns that proposed protection for old and natural forests could hinder the project, Yle reports.

The Rusamo project is the most advanced mining proposal in the municipality, but it remains at the mineral exploration stage. The agency Metsähallitus has identified two forests in the Rusamo area that meet the protection criteria, and two more nearby. It has submitted proposals to protect them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

“If the proposals are approved, it will sink this mining project,” Taivalkoski municipal manager Mirva Haataja said. The municipality has begun zoning the Rusamo area for mining even though the company has not decided whether to proceed. The company says the project would not be derailed even if the forests were protected.

Metsähallitus director general Juha Niemelä said the agency had heard feedback from Taivalkoski and other municipalities and was seeking to reconcile protection with other land-use needs. Some sites may require further review because of overlapping land-use needs or contractual obligations, he said. The municipalities of Posio and Kittilä have also opposed the current protection proposals.

Haataja said the mine could employ up to 2,000 people directly during construction and 500 to 800 later. Taivalkoski has about 3,500 residents. The municipality is also proposing a freight railway from Suomussalmi to Taivalkoski for inclusion in the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s planning list. A study commissioned by the municipality’s development company also raised the possibility of passenger services.

Opening a mine would take at least five to 10 years. Rusamo is next to Syöte National Park, which partly lies within Taivalkoski. Timo Koivumäki, who bought a cabin about a kilometre from the exploration area around five years ago, opposes sacrificing old forests.