Norway grants temporary permit for mining waste dumping in Førdefjorden

The Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment has granted Nordic Mining a temporary three-year permit to dump up to 4.5 million tons of mining waste into Førdefjorden. This decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled in June that previous discharge and operating permits were invalid because they violated the EU Water Framework Directive.

Climate and Environment Minister Sigrun Aasland stated that the ministry is suspending the invalidated decisions and providing this time-limited permit while they evaluate whether a long-term permit can be issued, a process expected to conclude in early 2027. The government previously argued that titanium is a strategic mineral for defense and aviation, but the court found that the original 2016 decisions were not properly justified on those grounds.

Environmental organizations, including Naturvernforbundet and Natur og Ungdom, have strongly criticized the move. They characterized the decision as a “gross violation” of the Supreme Court ruling and the regulations intended to protect fjords from pollution, arguing that the government is undermining trust in the Norwegian legal system.