Services Environmental care Permits and Notifications Land extraction permit

Extraction Permit

An application for an extraction permit must always be submitted when planning to extract soil substances for sale.

The Earth Removal Act applies to the extraction of stone, gravel, sand, clay, and peat for transportation or for storage and processing on-site, unless it pertains to:

  • extraction activities based on the Mining Act (621/2011)
  • the extraction and use of substances released in connection with buildings, provided the action is based on a permit from an authority or a plan approved by an authority
  • the extraction of substances in water areas that requires a permit from the regional administration according to the Water Act (587/2011)

An extraction permit is not required when obtaining soil substances for personal customary use or household needs. The use of extracted soil substances for household needs should relate to activities such as the construction and maintenance of farm and forestry road connections.

NOTE! A notification to the environmental authority is required for household extraction if more than 500 cubic meters of material are intended to be used for household needs. These are monitored in the same way as permitted extractions.

Groundwater pond formed by extraction activities

Application

The application form should be filled out in one copy with the following attachments:

  • Investigation of ownership or possession rights (1 copy): a copy of a document such as a purchase contract or similar. Required if the applicant does not have the title to the relevant area. If the permit is applied for an area owned by someone else, a written consent from the area's owner must be attached.
  • Extraction plan (3 copies): The extraction plan includes a description of the planned land extraction and drawings of the current situation and after the extraction activities have ended. The extraction plan contains the following, among others: the location of the extraction area (village, estate, neighbors) and land ownership conditions, studies conducted in the area and an investigation of the quantity and nature of the substances, natural conditions, area planning situation, extraction arrangements (excavation and blasting area, extraction direction, protective areas, storage areas, trees to be preserved, etc.), machine arrangements, areas for fuel storage and refueling, waste management during operations, groundwater conditions, groundwater class and protection areas, nearby water sources, groundwater level and flow directions, traffic arrangements, measures to limit environmental inconveniences (emissions, dust, noise), aftercare measures. More information on the content of the extraction plan can be found in the Ministry of the Environment's publication 2021:13, Land Extraction Activities.
  • Plan for managing extraction waste (1 copy). Extraction waste includes surface soil and loose earth, stumps, stones, side rock, etc. It is recommended that extraction waste be used in the aftercare of the extraction area.
  • Investigation of road connections and road rights

The application form can be found at www.miljo.fi.
The form for the extraction waste plan can be found at www.miljo.fi

Permit process

Once the application is submitted, necessary statements are requested from various authorities. The neighbors adjacent to the earth extraction site are heard, and they have the opportunity to submit objections. Additionally, a joint inspection of the site is conducted by the environmental inspector together with the applicant and possibly other authorities before the decision on the permit is made.
The permit is granted by the building and environment board. The processing time is always at least 3 months, as both the application and the decision each have a public announcement period of 30 days. The processing time also depends on how quickly other authorities can provide their statements.

Fees

For the extraction permit, a fee is charged according to the current extraction rate in Vörå municipality. The fee is calculated based on material amounts, area size, etc. Additionally, a security deposit, calculated using the same rate, must be deposited in a pledged account before the operation starts. This security ensures that funds are available in case of an incident on the site, such as an accident requiring cleanup or restoration. The security is returned to the permit holder when the operation ceases and a final inspection of the site has been conducted.

The applicant is obligated to pay an annual inspection fee for the permit based on § 23 of the Extraction Act.

Request for modification

An appeal against a permit decision may be filed by the person to whom the decision pertains, anyone whose rights, obligations, or benefits are directly affected by the decision (interested party), as well as by members of the municipality. Appeals are submitted to the Vaasa Administrative Court. The appeal period is 30 days.

Duty to report

The holder of a land extraction permit must annually report to the permitting authority the quantity and type of substance extracted. (This also applies to household extractions where more than 500 solid cubic meters of material are taken).

 

See also:
Legislation: Land Extraction Act (555/1981) www.finlex.fi
Notification of extracted material and household extraction: www.miljo.fi

Crushed stone extraction