Sweden sparks ire of environmentalists with mining decision

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Swedish government has decided to grant the exploitation of the Scandinavian country’s largest unexploited iron ore deposits to a Sweden-based company, sparking the ire of environmentalists. The Fridays for Future group, which Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg helped create, said that granting the concession to Beowulf Mining PLC meant “they say no to indigenous peoples’ rights, environment, climate and our common future.” Sweden’s government said the decision involved  “far-reaching and unique” conditions and the affected villages of the Sami ethnic group would be compensated. The site at Kallak is in northern Sweden 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the town of Jokkmokk, which is north of the Arctic Circle and houses the Sami parliament.