Environmental justice of mining : a case-study of the copper extraction conflict in Laver, Sápmi

Abstract

Global demand for key minerals are on the raise. Low-quality mineral deposits require larger land-areas and generate higher amounts of waste. This creates socio-ecological impacts on local livelihoods and ecosystems. Indigenous communities are particularly impacted by extractive industries. The experiences of unjust outcomes for local communities has resulted in a growing number of mining conflicts. In settler colonies, contemporary mining conflicts tend to be influenced by colonial ideologies and practices. This study aims to analyze a mining conflict in Laver, northern Sweden, through the lens of Environmental Justice – which examines justice in terms of distribution, recognition, and procedure. The conflict was characterized as a clash between three different national interests: minerals, nature, and traditional reindeer herding, valued differently by different actors in the conflict. Data collected through semi-structured interviews reveal that the distribution of costs and benefits between actors in the conflict is uneven, that cultural distinctiveness is misrecognized and that there is no procedural justice. In other words, collected data suggest that environmental justice is not achieved. I argue that environmental injustice is influenced by Sweden’s colonial legacy and that indigenous rights to land, culture, and self-determination are denied to accommodate Sweden’s continued mineral extraction