Mining waste discharge hits Finnish lakes

Limits on wastewater discharge may have been behind a major pollution incident at a metals mine in eastern Finland last week, in which acid water containing nickel, uranium and other metals toxic to aquatic life leaked into two local lakes.

The annual limit imposed on mining company Talvivaara's annual wastewater discharge may have forced the company to retain a considerable amount of water on site, Seppo Rekolainen of the Finnish Environment Institute (FEI) told ENDS. The company could not be reached for comment.