The mine in Stekenjokk closed 36 years ago. It is the company Vilhelmina Mineral, owned by Bluelake Mineral, that wants to start operations again. The company has been trying for many years to get permission to resume operations in the closed mine in Stekenjokk outside Klimpfjäll.
The area is designated as being of national interest for the minerals zinc, copper and lead, and is also of national interest for reindeer husbandry.
The county board changed its mind
After rejecting the company’s application for Stekenjokk, the County Administrative Board in Västerbotten changed its mind in August this year and now said yes.
The mine is located in a sensitive environment and adjacent to a Natura 2000 area. The two Sami villages in the area have said no to the plans. The mining company must only mine ore in the winter, from November to April every year, so as not to disturb the reindeer herding. The Sami villages must also, if necessary, be able to stop all or parts of the company’s operations in the area during the month of April.
But now Bergstaten is rejecting the application for a processing concession for the deposit in Stekenjokk.
– Regarding Vilhelmina Mineral AB’s application for Stekenjokk, the miner’s overall assessment is that the company has not been able to demonstrate a deposit that can be utilized financially and has therefore rejected the application, Bergstaten writes about the decision.
Permission is granted for another deposit
However, the mining company is granted a processing concession for the copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver deposit Levi in Vilhelmina municipality.
– In the case of Levi, the assessment is that it is possible to achieve coexistence between the national interest in valuable substances or materials and the national interest in reindeer husbandry. But in my decision, a number of conditions are specified to protect the reindeer industry, which are a prerequisite for the concession to be granted, says the mountaineer.