Applying for a soil extraction permit

Authorization documents

Soil sampling, such as stone, gravel, sand, clay and soil for transport or on-site storage or processing, almost always requires a soil sampling permit. The written application must state the necessary information about the applicant, the land ownership of the area and the measures to be taken. The application must be accompanied by a statement of the applicant's right of possession to the sampling site and a map showing the location and boundaries of the sampling area. The permit authority can demand other reports from the applicant, such as a nature survey, if it is necessary for the processing of the case.

An actual separate extraction plan is not required for the taking of soil materials, which is small in scope and effects. If, however, a sampling plan is needed for taking soil materials, the Taking soil materials guide contains instructions for preparing a written sampling plan. Owners and occupiers of neighboring properties and other areas must be consulted about the land permit application. You can carry out the consultation yourself or it can be done by an authority in connection with processing the permit.

An actual separate extraction plan is not required for the taking of soil materials, which is small in scope and effects.

For the land acquisition application, you therefore need an acquisition plan, a permit application form, map attachments, a waste management plan for mining waste, and a possible neighbor consultation form. 

Guide for taking soil materials 2020 (pdf)

www.ympäristo.fi 

Permit processing and issuance

The permit authority informs about the pending permit application by announcing it on the websites of the relevant municipality and the Imatra region's environmental department (30+7 days). The application is usually also announced in the local newspaper. Owners and occupiers of areas bordering the property will be notified separately of the permit application. The interested parties will be given an opportunity to submit reminders before the license case is resolved. The permit is granted if the activity complies with the Land Material Act (MAL 555/81) requirements. As a general rule, the permit can be granted for a maximum of 10 years, but for special reasons, the permit can be granted for a longer period, but for a maximum of 20 years. The permit is granted by the environmental board of the Imatra region.

The permit decision will be announced on the websites of the municipality where the activity is located and the environmental agency of the Imatra region and, if necessary, in the local newspaper. The decision of the licensing authority can be appealed to the Administrative Court of Eastern Finland and further to the Supreme Administrative Court.

A fee is charged for processing the permit in accordance with the fee approved by the Imatra regional environmental board.

Taxes (pdf)

Posting collateral

The permit applicant places an acceptable security deposit before starting the soil extraction. Collateral can be a bank deposit, pledge or insurance. The guarantee covers the costs of harms, damages and landscaping of the area caused by soil removal. The environmental authority of the Imatra region accepts the guarantees related to land permits.

Obligation to report quantities of soil

In accordance with the Soil Materials Act, the annual quantities of soil materials taken must be reported to the licensing authority by email, environmental actionimatra.fi (umparistotoimi[at]imatra[dot]fi) , and also mark the national one To the Notto information system by the end of January of the following year.

Home delivery

A soil permit is usually not necessary if soil is taken from one's own land for normal household use, for the landowner's own residence or for agriculture and forestry. The use must be related to construction or improving access connections. If there is more than 500 m³ of household intake, a declaration must be made for household consumption. Domestic use is not, for example, taking soil for the maintenance of a road maintained by the road administration.

Home delivery (www.ymparisto.fi)

The need for an environmental permit

An environmental permit (environmental permit application for stone quarrying and crushing) is required for taking soil materials in the following cases:

• -stone quarry or other stone quarrying that is not related to land construction activities, where the aggregate is processed for at least 50 days;
• - a fixed crushing plant or a mobile crushing plant placed in a certain area, with a total operating time of at least 50 days per year.

Even a smaller activity may need an environmental permit if it is located in an important or other groundwater area suitable for water procurement and the activity may cause a risk of groundwater pollution. An environmental permit is also necessary when handling detached soil materials, as this activity may meet the hallmarks of environmental pollution. 

 Soil permit applicant's checklist (pdf)

Applications with attachments are sent to:

Electronically: environmental actionimatra.fi (umparistotoimi[at]imatra[dot]fi)

or

by post:

Imatran seudun ympäristötoimi, asiakaspalvelu
Virastokatu 2
55100 IMATRA