Concerns raised over hazardous material handling at Porin Mäntyluoto port in Finland

In Porin Mäntyluoto, the handling of hazardous materials at the port has raised significant safety concerns, according to reports by MTV News. Insights from a former employee and a representative of the local residents’ association indicate that serious negligence and a minimization of health risks have occurred at the facility.

An anonymous worker highlighted issues such as dust generated from the transport of materials, which has scattered throughout the work site. The worker described the operational practices in the area as “completely indifferent.” Legally, hazardous chemicals should mainly be processed within a closed system.

Additionally, dust from these hazardous materials has reportedly spread to residential areas. Tapio Hacklin from the Mäntyluoto residents’ association stated that local residents have been suffering from dust issues for decades. Inspection reports from the regional administrative authority confirm MTV’s findings of deficiencies in the port’s operations, including significant shortcomings noted in the handling of carcinogenic substances during inspections conducted in April and May 2024.

While the Ely Centre declared the port’s operations compliant with environmental permits in May, residents like Hacklin contest the adequacy and results of these evaluations. In response, the residents’ association sent a dust sample from the neighborhood to an external lab for analysis, which revealed the presence of copper. According to chemical engineer Leif Ramm-Schmidt, the results suggest that the copper originates from the unloaded cargo. However, he emphasizes that official measurements should be made using air samplers to ensure reliability.

Porin Mäntyluoto’s port includes facilities such as Porin Satama and Olmar, with hazardous chemicals owned by Boliden Harjavalta.