Environmental protection permits and notifications

An environmental permit is required for any activity that poses a risk of environmental pollution. Similarly, a permit is required for any change to the permitted activity that increases emissions or their impact, or for any other significant change to the activity. Applications should be addressed to the Keurusselkä Environmental Protection Committee.

A fee in accordance with the environmental protection authority’s schedule of charges will be levied for the processing of an environmental permit and the initiation of regular monitoring.

Guidance on applying for an environmental permit and the application forms can be found on the Environmental Administration’s website.

The simplified notification procedure, which partially replaces the environmental permit, applies to, amongst other things, the majority of animal shelters, chemical storage facilities, food industry plants, sawmills and transport depots, as well as small-scale shooting ranges. Operations covered by the notification procedure are required to submit a notification to the Keurusselkä Environmental Protection Subcommittee in accordance with Section 115a of the Environmental Protection Act no later than 120 days before the start of operations. A decision on the notification is issued, against which an appeal may be lodged.

A fee in accordance with the environmental protection authority’s schedule of charges will be levied for the processing of the notification and the initiation of regular monitoring.

Further information on the notification procedure, guidelines and sector-specific forms can be found via this link on the Finnish Environment Administration’s website.

The activities subject to registration include the majority of energy production plants with a fuel capacity of less than 50 MW, liquid fuel distribution stations and asphalt plants. Some dry-cleaning establishments and activities using organic solvents are also subject to registration.

No environmental permit is required for activities subject to registration. Registration is essentially a record-keeping procedure in which no administrative decision is made and no regulations are issued.

A fee in accordance with the environmental protection authority’s schedule of charges will be levied for the processing of the registration and for the initiation of regular monitoring of the data subject’s activities.

Further information and registration forms can be found on the Environmental Administration’s website via this link.

A written notification must be submitted to the local environmental protection authority regarding any activity or event that causes temporary noise or vibration, if there is reason to believe that the noise or vibration will be particularly disruptive. Examples of such activities include open-air concerts or construction work carried out at night. The notification requirement is set out in more detail in the environmental protection regulations.

A fee in accordance with the environmental protection authority’s schedule of charges will be levied for the processing of a noise complaint.

You can find further information and the noise notification form via this link on the Environmental Administration’s website.

Under Section 30 of the Off-Road Traffic Act, a permit must be sought from the municipal environmental protection authority for the repeated or permanent organisation of competitions and training sessions involving motorised vehicles on the same terrain. A fee in accordance with the municipal environmental protection authority’s schedule of charges is levied for the processing of a permit under the Off-Road Traffic Act.

An ice rink requires a licence

Under the Off-Road Traffic Act, a permit must be sought from the local environmental protection authority for the regular organisation of training sessions or competitions involving motor vehicles on a ploughed ice track. In this context, ‘repeatedly’ means that the ice track is used more than just a few times during the winter.

Form

Application for a licence under the Off-Road Traffic Act

Under Section 106 of the Water Transport Act, a permit must be obtained from the local environmental protection authority for the repeated or permanent organisation of competitions or training sessions involving motorised watercraft in the same body of water.

Form

Application for a licence under the Water Transport Act

The regulations gove ing the storage and spreading of manure are laid down in the Gove ment Decree (1250/2014) on the limitation of certain emissions from agriculture and horticulture (the so-called Nitrates Decree). The Nitrates Decree applies to all animal housing and all arable and horticultural farming. According to the Decree, animal housing must have a sealed manure storage facility capable of holding the manure produced during the year. If manure is stored in a heap, this must be reported to the local environmental protection authority via a monitoring notification. Storing manure in a heap is permitted only in exceptional cases for technical or hygiene reasons.

Exceptions to the ban on spreading manure (1 November – 31 March) may be granted in particularly exceptional circumstances. However, any such exception must be notified to the environmental protection authority. The notification must be submitted as early as possible, but no later than the end of October, and the manure must be spread by the end of November.

Further information and the notification forms required under the Nitrates Directive can be found via this link on the vesi.fi website.

In accordance with Section 100 of the Waste Act, a notification regarding the professional collection of waste must be submitted to the environmental protection authority of the municipality in whose area the collection takes place, for the purpose of entry in the waste management register. The notification must be submitted in good time before the collection begins. Professional collection refers to the gathering of waste, for example, at collection points organised by the municipality, producer organisations, distributors or other waste management service providers, for onward transport to treatment. Waste collection activities subject to notification and the associated short-term and temporary storage do not require an environmental permit. If the collection is carried out as part of another activity subject to an environmental permit, no separate notification to the waste management register is required.

A processing fee in accordance with the municipal environmental protection authority’s schedule of charges will be levied for the processing of the notification.

You can find further information and the notification form via this link on the Environmental Administration’s website.

Under the Water Services Act, the municipal environmental protection authority may, upon application, grant a property an exemption from the obligation to connect to the water supply or sewerage network of the water utility. The grounds for granting such an exemption are laid down in the Water Services Act (119/2001).

Form

Application for exemption from the obligation to connect to the water supply and/or sewerage network of the water utility

Small-scale (less than 500 tonnes) recovery of waste in earthworks is permitted subject to notification to the local environmental protection authority. The notification must be submitted 30 days before the waste is placed. The intended use must be justified and permanent. Waste used in earthworks must not contain substances harmful to the environment or health. The waste must be processed to a particle size suitable for the structure. The maximum permitted particle size for concrete is 90 mm and for brick 150 mm. The structural layer containing waste must be covered or paved over. In groundwater areas, the use of waste is prohibited, with the exception of clean surplus soil materials. The landowner is responsible for the waste placed in the ground. Further details on utilisation are set out in the environmental protection regulations.

Large-scale (at least 500 tonnes) The use of waste in earthworks (concrete waste, ash, crushed brick and asphalt, waste incineration slag, lime, tyre waste) is carried out in accordance with the Gove ment Decree on the Use of Certain Wastes in Earthworks (843/2017, the so-called Mara Decree). The activity may also require an environmental permit. A notification must be submitted to the regional ELY Centre. Further information and the form for submitting a notification to the regional ELY Centre can be found on the website of the Finnish Environment Administration.

Form

Notification of small-scale waste recovery in earthworks

In accordance with environmental protection regulations, any oil, fuel or other chemical tank that is to be decommissioned must be removed from the ground, together with all its structural components. The tank must be cleaned before removal. The cleaner must possess the professional skills required for the task, and a certificate of cleaning must be retained for any potential inspection. Any tank leaks detected must be reported immediately to the environmental protection authority.

Special permission to leave the tank on the ground

The local environmental protection authority may grant an exemption from the obligation to remove a chemical container from the ground if removal is technically very difficult or would cause damage to other property. A further condition for leaving the tank in the ground is that an inspector certified by the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) has not, during an inspection, found any tank leaks or resulting environmental pollution, and that the tank is not located in a groundwater area. However, the tank’s filling and vent pipes must be removed.

The application must be accompanied by an inspection report on the emptying and cleaning of the tank and a site plan showing the tank’s location.

Form

Application to leave a decommissioned oil tank in the ground

Camping sites and temporary camping sites must be reported to the camping site authority.

A written notification regarding the establishment of a campsite or any significant change to its operations must be submitted to the campsite authority – which is the local authority’s environmental protection authority – no later than three months before the start of operations or the change takes effect. The notification must include the necessary details regarding the operator of the campsite, the location of the site, and the nature and nature of the activities.

A temporary campsite must also be registered. A temporary camping site is defined as an area intended to accommodate more than 100 people in tents or in caravans or motorhomes kept there for a maximum of 14 days.

There is no charge for processing a campsite notification.

Form

Campsite notification