EELC has consulted several local communities helping them to participate in mining permits decisions. We also assessed the conditions of mining permits more thoroughly in a respective analysis in 2014. One of the main conclusions was that even if the impacts are well considered before giving the mining permit, clear conditions on how to prevent or reduce the impacts later and the arrangements for supervision must be added to the permits as well.
The new guidelines describe the steps of the mining permit procedure, share some tips on how to orientate in the documents disclosed by the authorities and how to submit comments and suggestions in permit proceedings. The guidelines also include a small glossary, which explains the meaning of technical terms used in the field and tips for assessing the mitigation measures offered by the permit issuing authority.
The guidelines can be seen here (in Estonian):
http://k6k.ee/fookuses/maapou/kaasaraakimise-juhised
The writing of guidelines was financed by the EEA grants (NGO fund)
Photo: Mihkel Pukk