Sámi Parliament demands halt to Repparfjord operations after Supreme Court ruling

The Sámi Parliament is calling on the Norwegian government to intervene and stop the permission for depositing mining waste in Repparfjord, located in Finnmark.

This demand stems from a recent Supreme Court decision that declared Nordic Mining's permit for waste disposal in Førdefjord, Vestland, invalid. The Sámi Parliament contends that the permits for both Førdefjord and Repparfjord are contemporaneous and virtually identical. They assert that the same flaw leading to the invalidation of the Førdefjord permits also applies to the Repparfjord permit under the Pollution Control Act and the Minerals Act.

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The error that led to the invalidation of the permits for deposition in Førdefjord and associated mineral operations also applies to the permit under the Pollution Control Act and the Minerals Act in Repparfjord.

However, Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen has rejected the notion that the cases are directly comparable. He stated that the Supreme Court ruling specifically pertains to the Engebø case and does not address potential emissions into Repparfjord. Eriksen added that the government will first assess how to proceed with the Engebø ruling and will address any implications for other cases if they arise.

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The ruling concerns the Engebø case and does not address potential emissions into Repparfjord. We will first assess how to follow up on the ruling in the Engebø case. If we see that it has implications for other cases, we will follow up on that.