7.5-Year Probe Nears End After Illegal Dumping Found at Orivesi Gold Mine

A 7.5-year police investigation into an illegal landfill at the Orivesi gold mine is nearing completion, YLE reports.

The probe names 16 supervisory-level individuals suspected of aggravated environmental contamination; they worked at various times for Outokumpu, Dragon Mining and subcontractors. Some have admitted wrongdoing. Others deny it, and several were employed only briefly — which investigators say may limit their responsibility for the entire period of offences. The alleged dumping stretches back to the 1990s. Police aim to finish questioning and hand the case to prosecutors in June.

Authorities discovered the illegal site during an ELY Centre inspection in October 2018, and cleanup crews removed the waste in 2023. Workers unearthed hundreds of tonnes of mostly mining-related refuse — car tyres, batteries, work overalls and oil filters — along with recoverable metals. Länsipuro said rising metal prices and limited recycling incentives in earlier decades likely contributed to the improper disposal. The case is notable because it may set a precedent for when environmental crimes expire; aggravated environmental contamination carries a potential prison term of between four months and six years.