Land extractions of soil
Front page / Land extractions of soil

Land extractions of soil

Louhittua kalliokiviainesta. Etualalla varoitustolppa ja varoitusnauhaa.

The extraction of earth materials for purposes other than personal household use requires a permit in accordance with the Land Extraction Act. A permit must be obtained from the municipal environmental protection authority for the extraction of earth materials. The municipality decides on the granting of the permit and monitors the extraction within its jurisdiction. In the permit evaluation, the environmental conditions specified in Section 3 of the Land Exreaction Act must be taken into account.

Land Extraction Act

The extraction sites must be located and the extraction of materials organized in a way that minimizes the impact on nature and landscape, and does not pose a danger to settlements or the environment or cause avoidable harm at reasonable costs.

Extraction of earth materials refers to the removal, transportation, processing, or on-site storage of large quantities of rocks, gravel, sand, clay, and topsoil. The extraction of earth materials is governed by the Land Extraction Act. A mining permit is required for the commercial extraction of earth materials.

A mining permit is not required if:

  • the extraction is for one’s own customary household use
  • the activity is based on the Land Extraction Act (503/65) for the extraction of materials
  • the activity involves the extraction and utilization of materials removed in connection with construction, based on a permit or an approved plan issued by the authority
  • the activity involves the extraction of materials in a water area that requires a permit from the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI) according to the Water Act

Announcement of the extraction permit application is posted on the municipality’s notice board for a period of 30 days. In addition, the owners, holders, and other stakeholders of properties adjacent to the extraction area, as well as other interested parties, are given the opportunity to be heard. If necessary, comments from various authorities may be requested regarding the application.

An environmental permit must be obtained for operations involving a stone quarry and/or a crushing plant that operates for at least 50 days per year. For extraction and/or crushing activities that occur less than 50 days per year, a noise notification must be submitted. The environmental permit application is made to the municipal environmental protection authority.

The permit application for the same project, as governed by the Land Extraction Act and the Environmental Protection Act, is processed together and generally resolved with a single decision. A joint permit can be applied for with a single application. Joint processing follows the procedural provisions of the Environmental Protection Act, while the content of the permit application, permit consideration, requirements for granting a permit, and permit conditions are separately governed by the provisions of the Land Extraction Act and the Environmental Protection Act.

If the extraction according to the Land Extraction Act poses a risk to the quality or productivity of an important or other groundwater area suitable for water supply, a permit in accordance with the Water Act must be obtained for the operation.

The holder of the extraction permit is obliged to report to the environmental protection authority of the City of Rauma the quantity and quality of the extracted earth materials for the previous year, immediately in the following year.

Permit applications are submitted through the Lupapiste service.

Household Extraction

According to Section 4, Subsection 2 of the Land Extraction Act, an extraction permit is not required if earth materials are extracted for one’s own customary household use. The extraction and use of earth materials must be related to residential or agricultural purposes. Household use should be related to construction or the maintenance of access routes.

If the quantity of household extraction exceeds 500 cubic meters, the extractor must inform the city’s environmental protection authority about the location of the extraction site and provide an estimate of the extent of the extraction.