Access to resources is of strategic importance to Europe's goal of achieving the Green Deal and becoming less dependent on foreign sources. Since then, an unprecedented hunt for raw material deposits in Europe has begun. Sweden is one of the countries with rich deposits of, among others, iron, copper and graphite in the north of the country. Swedish and foreign companies alike are competing for concessions to open new mines for those so called critical raw materials. This is not without consequences for the local population, including Europe's last indigenous people, the Sámi. This is a series of interviews with affected people in the area around Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost city.
From Stockholm to Kiruna
How did you and your family come to Kiruna?
I was born in Stockholm and had a good life as a youngster, but my father died quite young. Consequently, my mother sent me working up in the mountains for summer which resulted in my signing up for my military compulsory service in Östersund in the middle of Sweden (province of Jämtland). There was a light infantry regiment and initially I did not have any ideas to become a professional soldier. But the 15 months at that regiment and our duties in the mountains and in the woods of Jämtland got my interest. So, I continued, and I became an officer in 1963. I met a girl who had the same interests as me: walking, skiing, and climbing in the mountains. We got married and settled in Östersund. But those “mountains” in Jämtland were a little bit too small and not so exciting. So, we decided to move up to Kiruna because here was a unit called the Army Ranger School, which was established here in 1945 as a consequence of the German attack on Norway 9th of April 1940. The government decided that we must protect all our iron mines here and so the first ranger battalion started military training here in June 1945.
My wife and our first kid moved to and settled in Kiruna in 1966 and I started my real career at this ranger battalion. My career prospered and during the years 1989 to 1997 I was the commander of the unit. It had become a rather big regiment (The Lapland Ranger Regiment). We had a lot of troops, weapons and all other equipment for around 25.000 men and women in mobilisation depots. I was responsible for the defence of the communities of Kiruna, Pajala and Gällivare, which is an area as big as Switzerland. My duty was to delay the enemy (i.e. the Russians) as long as possible in case they were attacking the Swedish border through Finland. In the year 2000, the regiment here was abandoned because we in Sweden, silly enough, thought that there would be no more wars. So, we reduced all defence forces to become almost nothing. But anyway, it has been a wonderful time for me here, training young soldiers and officers during the eight seasons of the year, as the Sami say. After the year of 2000 LKAB (the state-owned mining company) has started to take over all the sites to turn the area to flats. I retired in the year 2000 and after I've been working at private enterprises for about 5 to 7 years and then I quit to enjoy my lasting years. Since then, I have been working with idealistic organizations like the Naturskyddsföreningen (The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation).
Working for Naturskyddsföreningen
How did you get in touch with this movement? What was your motivation?
I have been working, training units and living so much in the woods and mountains. And I have been sleeping outdoors in and below trees, in snow huts and tents for more than 3 to 4 years in total. But I hadn't been aware of the changes that are going on in the woods with the logging industry and I wasn't thinking so much of the consequences for the Sami people and their reindeer. They had been harmed in so many ways by this colonialism that has been going on for such a long time, and no one was listening to them. If a water plant had to be built, they just had to accept it. When there should be a new road constructed, they had to accept it. If one wanted to start a new mine, they had to accept it. We have signed the UN declaration for Indigenous people, but we do not take responsibility for it.
There's also the legal body of ILO 169 (Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989), which has so far not been ratified in Sweden and which, among other rights, gives the Sami people the right of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
We at Naturskyddsföreningen strongly believe that we should sign and ratify ILO 169 as quickly as possible. And we should also follow all international stipulations on how to deal with the Sami people. They should have the right to be informed in advance of anything that could harm their culture and their reindeer herding. Swedish authorities and companies are not giving this information to the Sami people in advance, and they don't get the possibility to change things for their own benefit. Everything is done without their consent.
Nowadays there is a big pressure for opening new mines, new windmills all over this area in the north. You are probably well informed about Gállok (a heavily disputed iron ore project near Jokkmokk). The Swedish government has now given a mining company the rights to exploit the area for mining. We are also fighting a mine called Liikavaara outside Gällivare. This is a big copper mine, owned and used by the company Boliden. We have been fighting it up to the highest court, but it was decided to open this new mine for a duration of only eight years. Three small villages are already abandoned by their inhabitants. The big road there, the E10, must be reconstructed, to make it go around the mine premises, just for eight years! The new mine in in Gállok would also be a short lived one, for about 10 to 12 years.
What are your tasks for the Naturskyddsföreningen?
I've been an active member already for two years now. I am responsible for writing all our articles, requests, declarations, and official documents regarding mines in Norrbotten County. I also write the claims to the courts as the Naturskyddsföreningen has an official party status in the legal processes that deal with environmental and climate issues.
A New Graphite Mine near Vittangi
The Australian mining company Talga is planning to open a graphite mine near the village of Vittangi. Where do we stand and how could you interfere in this process?
We will interfere if we can. The mine, if opened, will totally destroy the landscape and it will have a great impact for the Sami communities. The company has to deliver an environmental study and an application. It is Talga, the mining company, who has to deliver these documents to the Mining Inspectorate (Bergsstaten). So far, it’s been done for only one of the four pits in the area, Nunasvaara Södra. For Nunasvaara Norra, Niska Södra and Niska Norra the documents are not yet delivered. As soon as the applications and environmental studies are made public, then we have approximately one month to study them, make our objectives and deliver them to both the Mining Inspectorate (Bergsstaten) and to the Land and Environmental Court in Umeå. The main point now at this step of the process are the rivers, Vittangi Älv and Torne Älv. Because two things can happen: First, the waste that is generated during mining operations spills over the basins or the basins are breaking and, second, the waste dripples down to the groundwater. I am particularly concerned about the marshes. The waste material could quickly spread throughout the area, as the marshes form a huge, interconnected water system.
In case we object the study, then Talga will deliver their answer to the court and to Bergsstaten. And when or if it has reached a point when Bergsstaten and the court say yes, we can oppose it once more and we will appeal to the higher court. So, the process is three or four or five years ahead before they could possibly open the mine.
This graphite mine is especially attractive in connection with Talga’s anode factory in Luleå and also in connection with the battery factory in Skellefteå operated by Northvolt. So mining can be vertically integrated with production activities in the same area.
Yes, it is very attractive. Also for the swedish state, as the whole European Union is looking at us since the decision made by the European Commission to become more self reliant on raw materials, which is of vital importance for the Green Deal.
When you say we don't need those critical materials, what is your alternative position?
The Naturskyddsföreningen (The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) believe we should totally change the way and priorities for mining, and we call it the mineral hierarchy: (1) The starting point is to discuss whether we really need these kinds of materials our things are made off, or could we do it in another way? (2) The second is to reuse all different kinds of earlier produced and used things and (3) the third is to take a look at all this waste rock that has been accumulating in the course of the years for every mine (i.e. remining). We might find there what we need now in our days, and we might have a new technique to separate requested minerals from the rest, which previously was not possible with the old technique. Only (4) the fourth and last step would be opening a new mine. So, we all have to consider our way of living. And that is the main point. These critical materials must be found at other locations where the Sami people will not be further abused and their traditional way of living with the reindeers will not be harmed.