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Iron mine is safe, says government

Northland Resources has great plans for its Tapuli iron mine in northern Sweden. Photo: northland.eu

The Tapuli iron mine project in northern Sweden does not jeopardize the health and safety of the local population, the Swedish government concludes.

Location

With its announcement, the government overruns the regional authorities in Norrbotten, which earlier turned down the development plan for the Tapuli mine, a project operated by mining company Northland Resources. The turndown by the regional authorities was soon appealed to the government level by the local municipality of Pajala.

“This is an important decision, both for the municipality of Pajala and for all of Norrbotten,” Ministry of Social Affairs Stefan Attefall says in a press release. “With this decision, the mine can be developed as a fully-fledged industry, he adds.

The Tapuli mine is located in a wetland area located about 20 km from Pajala, a small town situated in northern Sweden near the border to Finland. The town, which today has about 2000 inhabitants, is experiencing a boost from the local mining. Several hundred new jobs are expected to be created.

Northland Resources is investing big money in local mining, which also includes the Hannukainen project on the Finnish side of the border. Both projects will generate a high grade, high quality iron ore concentrate, from which Northland expects to receive premium price on the world market, the company informs.

As previously reported by BarentsObserver, the ore will be transported by truck to the Norwegian port of Narvik, from where it will be exported by large-size bulk carriers.