Hearing on environmental permit for Malmberget continues in 2026
Following six intensive weeks of hearings during the autumn, the Land and Environmental Court has decided to grant LKAB's request for continued main hearing in the spring of 2026. The background is the new proposal from the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise regarding changed quality requirements for uranium in surface water.
– We are pleased that the court has granted our request. It gives us the opportunity to highlight our previously conducted investigations and submitted documents in light of the new legal situation that may prevail after the turn of the year, says Monika Sammelin, Area Manager Malmberget.
Basically, LKAB believes that the change in the quality requirements is a good proposal from the government, which corrects a gap in the regulations. With the proposed changes, the permit processes will be better adapted to the actual environmental impact. This is something that benefits the entire industry and society at large.
Focus on actual impact
“The government’s proposal means that quality requirements for uranium in surface water should be set based on the bioavailable concentration of uranium, which shows the degree to which uranium is taken up by organisms in the water. Today, the limit value for uranium is expressed as the total dissolved uranium content of surface water – a blunt way of measuring water quality since the total dissolved uranium content does not take into account the degree to which organisms are affected”, says Andreas Löfgren, project manager for the environmental permit project at LKAB.
The proposal that bioavailable concentration of uranium instead of total dissolved uranium should be taken into account when assessing which uranium concentrations can be allowed in a surface water body is a scientifically correct way of handling the issue. It will promote societal development and climate change adaptation while maintaining the protection of Sweden’s waters.
“Uranium is a natural and commonly occurring element in Sweden’s bedrock and Swedish water. The limit value that has applied so far is 176 times stricter than for ordinary drinking water. The important thing is to ensure that the water does not contain bioavailable uranium in concentrations that are harmful to any organism”, says Andreas Löfgren.
Changed legal situation
LKAB sees no other realistic alternative than for the main hearing to continue. This is because there may be a completely different legal situation after the turn of the year. It is essential that the new conditions regarding uranium can form the basis for a permit ruling, even if it is regrettable that this means a longer delay in time before a ruling can be issued. The court has tentatively planned to continue the main hearing for weeks 17 and 19 in the spring of 2026. A notice of a hearing will be issued later. The hope is that the case can then be decided in June 2026.
