Norway's climate and environment ministry has issued a new permit allowing Nordic Mining to release waste into Førde fjord. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling on 17 June 2026, which found a previous permit for the same activity to be illegal.
The Supreme Court's decision in June marked the culmination of a 17-year environmental campaign against the dumping of mining waste. However, the elation among campaigners was brief, as a government lawyer outlined plans for a new temporary permit shortly after the ruling.
Nordic Mining applied for fresh permission four days after the Supreme Court's decision, and this was granted in late September by the climate and environment ministry. The company's Engebø titanium mine, located on Førde fjord near Vevring, began releasing waste in late 2024.
The legal dispute focused on the EU's water framework directive, which applies to Norway. The directive permits industrial activities to pollute water bodies only when there is an "overriding public interest." The government argues that the importance of titanium, now a critical mineral for the EU, strengthens the case for the permit.
Legal scholars have questioned the government's stance, with one associate professor stating that the Supreme Court's decision was clear: the original permit was illegal. Økokrim, Norway's central office for white collar and environmental crime, is considering whether to investigate the dumping for illegality.