MINEX Forum

Tag: legal challenge

  • Adriatic Metals Faces Legal Hurdles Over Forest Removal Law in Bosnia & Herzegovina

    Adriatic Metals Faces Legal Hurdles Over Forest Removal Law in Bosnia & Herzegovina

    Adriatic Metals PLC, a Cheltenham-based exploration and development company, reported on Monday that the Constitutional Court of Bosnia & Herzegovina has recommended the repeal of a federal law that permits the removal of state forest for temporary use. This announcement caused a 5.6% drop in Adriatic Metals shares, closing at 186.15 pence in London.

    The court argues that the authority to permit forest removal should reside with the state rather than the federation. Adriatic Metals anticipates that the court will release its full decision shortly. This ruling is expected to delay the planned removal of trees for the company’s extended tailings storage facility at the Vares processing plant, scheduled for construction in the upcoming months.

    The potential impact of the court’s decision is significant, as Adriatic stated that every major project within the federation could be affected. In the interim, Adriatic Metals will continue utilizing its current tailings storage facility, which has the capacity to receive material until the first quarter of 2025. The company is also considering alternative tailings storage solutions within its concession area but will await the court’s full decision before proceeding.

    Chief Executive Officer Paul Cronin assured stakeholders that Adriatic Metals is cooperating with all levels of government to fully understand the implications of the court’s decision and is committed to complying with the laws of Bosnia & Herzegovina. He confirmed that operations at the Vares silver project are continuing as planned, with an update on production expected in the upcoming Q2 quarterly activity report.

  • Climate Groups Challenge UK’s First Deep Coal Mine in Three Decades

    Climate Groups Challenge UK’s First Deep Coal Mine in Three Decades

    In a significant legal battle, climate groups have branded the decision to open the UK’s first deep coal mine in over thirty years as unlawful, arguing that the approval overlooked the full extent of the harmful emissions it would generate. On Tuesday, lawyers representing Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change contested the planning permission granted to the Woodhouse Colliery project in Whitehaven, northwest England, at the High Court.

    The UK government had greenlit the mine’s development in 2022, with West Cumbria Mining Ltd. planning to export coal primarily for steel production overseas. However, legal representatives claimed that the developer’s climate assessment failed to account for the emissions resulting from burning the coal, erroneously labeling the mine as net zero.

    “No reputable standard-setting or governance body involved in the voluntary carbon market endorsed West Cumbria Mining’s approach,” stated the lawyers for Friends of the Earth in their hearing documents, calling the net zero claim “pure greenwashing.”

    The case gained momentum last week when the UK’s new Labour government declared it would no longer defend the mine’s approval. This decision followed a Supreme Court ruling mandating that all emissions, whether produced on site or downstream, must be fully considered when approving new fossil fuel projects.

    In response, West Cumbria Mining‘s legal team vehemently denied the accusations, asserting that the development proposals, evidence, and official appraisals were all lawful and accurately represented.