15.09.2025
Gold Drew Interest, Water Sparked Discussion – Open Dialogue on Responsibility at Endomines’ Community Evening
Endomines’ autumn Community Evening once again brought together a large group of people interested in mining at the Lehtovaara village hall. The evening featured lively discussions on the company’s plans, environmental impacts, and commitment to responsibility.
These events are Endomines’ way of staying connected with residents living near the mine. The autumn gathering was held on 10 September and marked the second event of the year – once again in a full house.
“We want to keep local residents informed about what we’re doing now and where our golden journey is heading. This time, we presented our updated strategy, long-term plans, environmental monitoring results, the next steps in exploration, and the status of our new processing plant development project,” said Ilkka Räty, COO.
Much is Happening Amid Growth
Community Evenings are held at least twice a year – in spring and autumn – and more often if needed. The previous event took place in May, and since then, much has happened in our rapidly growing company.
“We’ve received new exploration results from the Ukkolanvaara area over the summer and autumn. Thanks to promising findings, it is now our primary exploration target. At the same time, we’re continuing with our original plan to double exploration along the Karelian Gold Line,” said Jani Rautio, CTO.
The development project introduced in May has progressed, but the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is still ongoing. The scope now includes both the Ukkolanvaara area and the surroundings of Pampalo. The assessment is expected to be completed by December.
“We’ve continued baseline environmental monitoring, including surface and groundwater studies, nature surveys, and archaeological research. Our goal is to build as comprehensive a picture as possible of the current state of the area,” said Maarit Korhonen from AFRY.
Korhonen reminded attendees that the EIA programme is a public document available for review once published.
“The programme outlines how environmental impacts will be assessed and presents possible implementation options. The results will be compiled into an EIA report, on which the ELY Centre will issue a statement. Residents can also submit their feedback, which will be considered as part of the official review,” Korhonen explained.
Nature and Water Drew the Most Attention
Environmental Manager Taina Kauhanen presented the environmental monitoring results from summer and autumn. Since May, monitoring has included the tailings and dust measurements.
“The tailings at Pampalo are not acid-generating and contain a high amount of neutralising minerals. The metal concentrations in discharge water are low, and the impact of seepage water is limited to the immediate vicinity of the tailings pond,” Kauhanen said.
Water management sparked discussion. While participants appreciated the closed water circulation system, they also raised questions about groundwater in peatland areas and the safety of eating fish from Lake Hattujärvi. Kauhanen reassured the audience:
“All water leaving our site meets the required permit limits,” she said.
Sustainability Guides Our Daily Work
At Endomines, sustainability is at the core of our strategy and guides our daily operations and decision-making.
“It’s important for us to do things right – with respect for the environment and people. For our current development project, we’ve selected the best experts in the country to advise us, so that the new processing plant will be built in a way that sets an example for the entire industry,” said Sampo Hirvonen, CDO.
“We also have a new, ambitious sustainability programme, and we are making steady progress toward its goals. We already operate responsibly and are continuously improving,” added Hanne Mäkelä, Chief Sustainability Officer.
This year’s sustainability report is available on our website. Next year’s report will detail the progress we’ve made in 2025.
Local Benefits from the Mine
Supporting local vitality is also part of our responsibility work. Last year, we spent €2.9 million on local services, employed 29 people from Ilomantsi and the Joensuu region, and paid €150,000 in mining tax to the municipality of Ilomantsi.
This year, we’ve hired 34 new employees in Pampalo, employed 10 summer workers, and purchased €1.15 million worth of local services. We’ve also supported local recreational and hobby activities with over €23,000.
Next Community Evening at Year-End
The next Community Evening will be held once the EIA programme is completed. The date will be announced on our website, LinkedIn, and in Pogostan Sanomat.