Socio-economic Challenges in the Mining Industry : – Four Cases from the Barents Region

• Main Author: Viinamäki, Leena
• Other Authors: Leena Viinamäki, Lapin ammattikorkeakoulu
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Lapin AMK 2015
• Subjects: Alta; Norway; Sodankylä; Kirovsk; Tyni; barents region; sami
• Online Access: http://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/97897

This is the final report from the MineHealth project’s (2012‒2014) Work package 4’s socio-economic study. This final report is more non-academic than academic. In separate and later publishing articles, we will emphasize a more academic dimension concerning the new role of mining industry in local communities in the Barents region. We hope that this report is a useful review for the administrators, politicians and citizens from the Mining Industry’s socio-economic impacts in local communities in the Barents Region. It was not taken for granted to have socio-economic research in the Minehealth project context. We wish to thank in particular the manager of the project, Mr Lage Burström, as well as other responsible persons of the work packages Mr Hannu Rintamäki, Mr Victor Shilov, Mr Ingemar Rodin and the initiator and the architect of the project, Mr Morten Skandfer for the opportunity offered to us. We would like to thank Mr Thor Nilsson for his encouraging and constructive attitude towards the completion of the research section that assessed Work Package 4’s socio-economic impact. We thank MineHealth project’s socio-economic research team: Vigdis Nygaard, Anita Pettersson-Strömbäck, Ljudmila Talykova and Seppo Kilpiäinen. It has been wonderful to be able to call on Tarja Pernu’s expertise in Excel whenever we have needed advice. Laura Juopperi has functioned as the project secretary and performed the preliminary translations of Finnish text sections into English. Also Arild Vaktskjölds work pooling the questionnaire database was valuable. Elsa Laiti-Hedemäki from The SámiSoster society provided expertise for the research team concerning the Sami people research theme. Vuokko Tyni from FQM Kevitsa Mining Oy provided expertise for the research team concerning mining research theme. We would like to give special thanks to the respondents of the MineHealth survey and those who participated in the interviews at the mines and municipalities within the research. Without their positive attitude towards the research team’s requests for input for the study, it would have been impossible to create the publication in accordance with the triangulation research design. In Kemi, on Equality Day 19.3.2015 Martti Ainonen WP 4 leader R&D Manager M. Soc.SC. Leena Viinamäki Responsible researcher for Socio-economic study Principal Lecturer, Social services D.Soc.Sc. MineHealth project (2012-2014) is funded partly by European Social Fund (Kolarctic ENPI CBC) and partly nationally. Socio-economic study gives possibilities to compare different mines, regions and countries and show the possibilities to implement a good socio-econo¬mic practice in the local community. The Socio-Economic Part of The Mine Research Work Package 4. is based as a Triangulative and Case Study Research Design. Reserarch team has collecting statistical data key economic and social indicators, has interviewed key informants and has done questionnaire for the Miners ac-cording to same data collecting plan. As the cases are the Mines in local municipalities in Finland Sodankylä, Kevitsa Mining Oy, in Norway Alta, Stjernoy Sibelco, in Russia Kirovsk, Phosagro-Apatit and in Sweden Boliden, Aitik Boliden. This is the final report from the Work package 4’s socio-economic study. We hope that this final report is useful review for the administrator, politician and citizen from the Minig Industry’s socio-economical impacts in local communities in Barent’s region.