The Supreme Administrative Court (KHO) rejected the environmental permit for the Finnpulp bioproduct mill in Kuopio. The decision came after a vote, with two members in favour of awarding environmental permit. The decision is final and is not subject to an appeal.
“This marks the end of the current mill project, which is a great loss for Finland,” says Niilo Pellonmaa, Chairman of the Board of Finnpulp.
Finnpulp questions the grounds for the decision. The project has been prepared with the best expertise in the world, including leading consultants in the forest industry, such as Pöyry.
“We have provided all necessary and requested material to the authorities and courts during the permit process. Therefore, the statement in the decision that Finnpulp has not provided sufficient studies is incomprehensible,” says Martti Fredrikson, Managing Director of Finnpulp.
He further points out that according to the decision, Finnpulp should have comprehensively assessed the impact also of all other pollutants on Kallavesi throughout the mill’s estimated economic life cycle (40–50 years).
“This is a requirement that no industrial mill can meet. No such studies have been required neither during this process nor in previous pulp and paper projects,” says Fredrikson.
