Cementa (HeidelbergCement group) submitted its application for a shorter mining permit of four years to the Land and Environment Court in April this year. Authorities, associations and the general public have since been able to take part in the application and submit comments on it.
Cementa has taken note of the opinions submitted by a dozen authorities and associations, such as SGU (the state's expert authority regarding groundwater and mineral extraction), the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Marine and Water Authority.
SGU confirms that Cementa's assessments regarding the operation's impact on groundwater can be accepted, provided that certain additions are made. The requested additions mainly consist of the results of surveys that Cementa has already announced and that are currently underway during the summer. They will further strengthen Cementa's base.
Cementa’s assessment remains that the company is capable of delivery until the summer of 2023 without a new permit. After that, the situation is uncertain.
The process going forward is that Cementa will now further analyse the opinions and submit answers to them to the Land and Environment Court on 1 September. Thereafter, authorities, associations and the general public are given the opportunity to take part in Cementa's responses and again submit opinions. The Land and Environment Court will then hold a main hearing in Visby in October 2022. A judgment is expected to be announced at the end of 2022.
