Environmental Protection Permits and Notifications

As the marina authority, you must compile a waste management plan for the waste caused by the boats. You may compile a shared waste management plan with another marina. 

A waste management plan must be compiled for marinas that include at least 25 boat spaces or that are connected to at least 25 winter docking spaces. 

Before sending the waste management plan to the Environment Office for processing, the plan must be on display during the marina’s opening hours for at least 14 days. You must notify the marina’s customers and other operators about the displayed plan, for example, on the marina’s notice board or on the marina’s website. At the same time, you must ensure an opportunity for the vessel owners and users who utilize the marina to offer their opinions about the waste management plan. As the marina authority you must deliver the plan at least to the Ely-centre of Northern Ostrobothnia’s registry for a statement. 

The Environment Office of the Oulu Region inspects the notification and makes an entry into the Environmental Protection’s information registry. A notice is sent to you about the entry in the registry.  

The waste management plan must be updated at least every five years. Update the plan also when the quality, amount or waste management changes significantly. 

What to do 

File the notification in good time. Deliver the filled in form by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

The notification form and instructions are on the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish). 

File a notification about professional waste collection activity to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. Based on the notification, the Environment Office enters the company into the waste management registry. You may notify about all the transfer stations in the Environment Office of the Oulu Region’s area of operation where you collect waste for temporary storage.  

You will be notified about the entry in the waste management registry once your notification is processed. 

What to do

File the notification in time before beginning the collection. File the notification about professional waste collection activity from the Environmental Protection’s online service (ePermit) (in Finnish).

If you cannot file the notification in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. You will find the notification form and instructions from Suomi.fi (in Finnish).

You may place waste in the ground to replace natural materials on a one-off basis. One-off utilization of waste is regulated by the environmental protection regulations. Read more about the environmental protection regulations of the Environment Office. 

Based on the environmental protection regulations, you may utilize the following waste: 

• Uncontaminated spoil (less than 500 m3) 

• Crushed recycled asphalt (less than 50 m3) 

• Concrete or brick waste originating in domestic or comparable activity (less than 50 m3) 

Notify the Environment Office of the Oulu Region about waste utilization at least 30 days before utilization. Please note that the utilization of concrete and brick waste is not permitted in groundwater areas. 

If your activity is professional or institutional or the amounts of waste are large, you might need an environmental permit. In some cases, you must file a MARA notification to the Ely-center of Northern Ostrobothnia. Read more about the MARA notifications (in Finnish). 

You apply for an exception from the environmental protection regulations in matters of waste utilization if: 

• You want to utilize more waste than is permitted by the regulations 

• The waste is originating in other than domestic activity (such as crushed concrete comes from a company) 

What to do

1. If you are utilizing waste according to the environmental protection regulations 

Notify the Environment Office of the Oulu Region about waste utilization at least 30 days before utilization. Deliver the notification form with appropriate attachments by e-mail to the Environment Office (please note, not to the registry). The contact information is found in the Contact Us. 

Attach a map and cross-sectional image of the structure that indicates layer thickness to the notification. 

2. If you want to deviate from the environmental protection regulations 

Apply for a permit from the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

Attach the following to the application: 

• A cross-sectional image of the structure that indicates layer thickness 

• Analysis reports that indicate the waste’s compatibility in earth construction (if utilizing concrete or brick waste) 

• Landowner's or occupier’s written consent 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it with all appropriate attachments by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region.  

Forms (in Finnish) 

Form for one-off utilization of waste (YSM) (pdf) 

Exception application for one-off utilization of waste in earth construction (pdf) 

Experimental activities can include, for example, fuel exchanging, trial of new substitutive chemicals or waste utilization as raw material. 

You do not need an environmental permit for short-term experimental activity. However, you must file a written notification of starting the experimental activity. File the notification to the authority that is able to grant you a permit for a comparable activity. If your activity falls under the authority of the Environmental Protection Authority, the decision regarding your notification is made by the Environment Office of the Oulu Region’s board of directors. 

What to do

Contact the Environment Office of the Oulu Region in advance to figure out if you can pursue your activity based on just a notification or if you need an environmental permit.  

File the application in good time, at least 30 days before starting the activity. 

File the application in the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. The application form and instructions are found on the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish). 

If there is a decommissioned oil tank underground on your property, you must remove it from the ground along with its pipes. Before removing the tank, it must be emptied and examined by an operator approved by the Finnish Safety and Chemical Agency (Tukes). Underground oil tank decommissioning is regulated by the Environment Office of the Oulu Region’s environmental protection regulations. 

If removing the underground oil tank is technically difficult or it could cause significant damage to other property, you may apply for an exception to the environmental protection regulations in order to leave the oil tank in the ground. 

What to do 

File the application for leaving decommissioned oil tanks in the ground from the Environmental Protection’s online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). Attach the following to your application: 

• Information about the property owner 

• Inspection record of the decommissioning and cleaning of the oil tank 

• Ground layout or other comparable layout that indicates the oil tank’s location on the property. 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it with all appropriate attachments by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

Form

• Application for leaving decommissioned oil tanks in the ground (pdf) (in Finnish) 

You may store manure in stacks only if required for technical or hygiene reasons. Read more about agriculture water conservation (vesi.fi) (in Finnish)  

What to do 

File a notification of manure stack storage at least 14 days before beginning storage to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. File the notification in the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

If you cannot file the notification in the online service, you may deliver it with all appropriate attachments by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. Please deliver the notification directly to the Environment Office, not the registry.  

You will find the stack storage notification form from the vesi.fi material bank (in Finnish).  

Spreading manure on fields is not permitted from the beginning of November to the end of March. You may apply for an exception from the manure spreading prohibition period if it has not been possible to utilize the manure on the field during the growing season due to exceptional weather conditions. Please note that it is not permitted to spread manure on top of a coating of snow or on frozen or water-satured earth. 

Read more about agriculture water conservation (vesi.fi) (in Finnish) 

What to do 

Announce your deviation to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region by 31.10. 

File the notification in the Environmental Protection onlin service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

If you cannot file the notification in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. Please deliver the notification directly to the Environment Office, not the registry. 

You will find the notification form from the vesi.fi material bank (in Finnish). 

Trees, a group of trees, erratic boulders or other natural formations can be natural monuments. These are protected due to their beauty, rarity, scenic significance or scientific value among other things. If there is natural formation that needs funding on your property, you may apply for funding from the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

What to do 

File a funding application for a natural monument to the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. You will find the funding application form from the Metsähallitus’s website (in Finnish). On the same page, you will find the funding termination form.  

When you are planning on extracting bedrock, sand, gravel, clay or earth, you need an extractable land permit. Additionally, mining and crushing bedrock material might require an environmental permit. In such cases, the extractable land permit and environmental permit are processed together, and a joint decision is made. 

You don’t need an extractable land permit if you are extracting material for domestic use or for agriculture and forestry. However, you must announce the extraction location and extent to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region if the extracted material exceeds 500 m³. 

What to do 

Apply for an extractable land permit from the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

You will find the instructions and forms for extraction from: the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish).  

Extraction for domestic use 

You may announce the extraction for domestic use in the Environmental Protection online service. 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. Please deliver the notification directly to the Environment Office, not the registry. 

You will find further information about extraction for domestic use and forms from the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish). 

You will need a permit for repetitive and fixed motor vehicle races or practice sessions organized in off-road terrains. You will also need a permit for individual events if they cause significant harm to nature, housing, general recreational use and fishing among other things. 

You don’t need a permit if the activity is located in an area reserved for that purpose in the city plan, or in an area with an environmental permit. 

What to do 

Apply for the permit from the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish).

Attach a map of the area of activity, landowner’s written consent, review of safety matters, a terrain damage repair plan and cleaning plan with the application. 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region.

Form 

• Permit application for races and practice sessions (pdf) (in Finnish) 

Please note that you do not need to file a noise notification if the activity temporarily causing noise follows the environmental protection regulations or if the activity has an environmental permit. Read more about the environmental protection regulations of the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

File a notification about activities or events causing significant disturbance or trembling to the Environment Office. File the notification about, for example, an outdoor concert, motor sport event, pleasure flights and noisy construction work such as pile driving.  

If the activity spans many municipalities, please file the notification to the Ely-centre of Northern Ostrobothnia (in Finnish). 

What to do 

File the notification in good time, at least 30 days before beginning operations or the event. 

File the notification in the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. You will find the notification form and instructions from the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish).  

Compile a route plan for establishing a snowmobile route. 

Please note that it is not permitted to establish a snowmobile route if its use causes significant harm to nature or environment, natural livelihoods, agriculture or forestry, general recreation or other public or private benefits. 

If the route manager changes, you will need approval from an Environment Protection authority. 

What to do 

Deliver the freeform route plan application to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region.  

Note the following in your route plan: 

• Indicate the route’s rest and maintenance areas in a way that they can be marked into the terrain if needed based on the plan 

• Mention the properties your route will pass through according to your plan 

• Attach other information about the route establishment and managing as well as a sufficiently accurate route map 

File a registration notification about operations that cause a threat of environmental contamination to the Environmental Office of the Oulu Region. File a registration notification for operations that include asphalt mixing plants, medium-size gas stations, energy production plants, concrete mixing plants, dry cleaners or other activities that utilize organic solvents. 

A specific set of criteria must be met in order to register the operation. For example, if your operation is located in a groundwater area, you will need an environmental permit. Read the specific registration criteria from the Environmental Protection Act Chapter 11 (Finlex.fi). Please familiarize yourself with the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish). 

An official decision is not made for registration. The Environment Office of the Oulu Region informs your when your operation is registered. You may begin operations once it has been registered.  

What to do 

If your operation includes medium-size energy production plants, you must file the notification at least 30 days before beginning operations.  

If your operation includes other registered activity, you must file the notification at least 60 days before beginning operations. 

File the registration notification in the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

If you cannot file the notification in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. Different branches of industry utilize separate notification forms and instructions. You will find them on the Environmental Administration’s website (links in Finnish): 

• Asphalt mixing plant registration (ymparisto.fi) 
• Concrete mixing plant registration (ymparisto.fi) 
• Medium-size energy production plant registration (ymparisto.fi) 
• Operation that utilizes organic solvents registration (ymparisto.fi) 
• Gas station registration (ymparisto.fi) 

As the property owner or occupier, you may apply for an exception from the domestic wastewater treatment regulations from the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

If the building on your property that produces wastewater is located within 100 meters of a waterway or the wastewater treatment system is located in a groundwater area, the domestic wastewater treatment system must meet the stricter than normal cleansing criteria. 

You do not have to apply for an exception if 

• The property’s building permit was granted in 2004 or after 

• The property is connected to a sewer network 

• There is a wastewater treatment system that meets the regulation criteria on the property 

• All property occupiers live on the property permanently and are born before 9.3.1943 

• The property uses carried water and a composting toilet 

The property owner must update the wastewater treatment system immediately to meet the regulation criteria if the current treatment causes environmental contamination, hygienic harm or hindrance to neighbors.  

What to do

File a deviation application on the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish). 

Always attach a ground plan on the application that indicates the locations of buildings, wastewater treatment systems and points of discharge as well as borders and domestic water wells on the property.  

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region.

Forms 

You will find the forms from the online service and through the links below. Please note that you must file a wastewater treatment system description form (attachment 2) for each wastewater treatment system or discharge system. The forms are in Finnish. 

• Deviation application for wastewater treatment (pdf) 
• Wastewater treatment system description (attachment 2) (pdf) 
• Assessment of small amounts of wastewater on the property (attachment 3A) (pdf) 
• Assessment of connecting the property to a sewer network (attachment 3B) (pdf) 
• Assessment of the old age of the property occupiers or other special factors regarding life situation (attachment 3C) (pdf) 
• Assessment of the property occupiers’ unemployment, illness or social obstacle (attachment 3D) (pdf) 
• Power of attorney template (pdf) 

Properties located in the water supply system’s area of operations must in general be connected to the water supply system’s water or sewer network. You may apply for an exemption from connecting from the Environment Office of the Oulu Region if the criteria defined by the Water Services Act are met. 

Connecting to the sewer network is always the easiest way to treat the property’s wastewater. You may inquire about the possibility of connecting to sewer networks from the local water supply systems. You may check if your property is located in a water supply network’s area of operations from the city of Oulu’s map service.

What to do 

Apply for the exemption with a form. Attach an assessment of the property’s wastewater treatment and a ground plan that indicates the locations of the property’s water supply sources and wastewater treatment systems. Please note that a separate wastewater treatment assessment must be filled out for each wastewater treatment system and discharge system on the property.  

If your property’s domestic water is derived from a water supply network, attach a copy of a water invoice to your application. 

If the applicant is not the property owner or the property has multiple owners, powers of attorney from each owner must be included in the application in order for it to be processed. If the property is owned by a deceased person, powers of attorney from each party or administrator of the death estate must be included in the application. Additionally, an extract of the estate inventory that indicates all parties to the death estate or a copy of the District Court’s decision on the estate’s administrator must be included in the application.  

You may deliver the application with all appropriate attachments by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

Forms (in Finnish) 

• Exemption from (pdf) 
• Assessment of the property’s wastewater treatment (pdf) 
• Power of attorney template (pdf) 

You need a permit for the repetitive or permanent organization of competitions, practice sessions or other events carried out on motorized watercrafts in the same location. You also need a permit for individual events if they are expected to cause significant environmental impact. 

If the activities are located in the area of multiple municipalities, you must apply for the permit from the Ely-centre of Northern Ostrobothnia. 

You do not need a permit if the activity is located in an area that is reserved for the activity in the city plan, or if an environmental permit has been granted for the area. 

What to do

Apply for the permit on the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish).

Attach a map of the area of activity, written consent of all shareholders of the water area, assessment of safety principles and a plan for the area’s cleaning and repair after the event into the application. 

If you cannot file the application in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

Form 

• Permit application for competitions and practice sessions (pdf) (in Finnish) 

If soil extraction includes rock mining or crushing, you need an environmental permit. It is, however, required that the project is located in the same location and the operation is simultaneous. You may apply for a joint permit with the same permit application form. Further information about joint permits from the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish).

What to do

Deliver the joint permit application and all appropriate attachments by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region.  

You will find the forms and instructions from the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish). 

The general notifications concern operations that cause insignificant environmental impact. Operations that require notifications, in general, do not require environmental permits but, for example, all operations located in groundwater areas always require environmental permits. 

If an environmental permit has been granted to your operation, you may continue operations according to the granted permit. If the operation changes significantly, or there is need to change the granted permit, a general notification can be used. 

The Environment Office of the Oulu Region processes the following general notifications 

• Sawmills (at least 20 000 m³ lumber per year) 

• Dangerous liquid chemical storage (storage volume at least 100 m³ but less than 1000 m³) 

• Foodstuff and feed industry plants if their wastewater is directed to wastewater treatment plant that holds an environmental permit 

• Some animal shelters that used to required environmental permits 

• Bus and work machinery depots 

• Small firing ranges 

• Fixed zoos and amusement parks 

The more precise list of operations requiring notification can be found in the Environmental Protection Act Appendix 4 (Finlex.fi). Further information from the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish).  

What to do

File the notification at least 120 days before the planned operation starting date. 

File the notification in the Environmental Protection online service (ePermit) (in Finnish).

If you cannot file the notification in the online service, you may deliver it by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. Different branches of industry utilize separate notification forms and instructions. You will find them on the Environmental Administration’s website (links in Finnish): 

• Animal shelter notification (ymparisto.fi)
• Notification for sawmills, depots, zoos or amusement parks (ymparisto.fi)
• Notification for hazardous liquid chemical storage (ymparisto.fi)
• Notification for foodstuff or feed industry (ymparisto.fi)
• Notification for small firing ranges (ymparisto.fi)

You will need an environmental permit for operations that cause a threat of environmental contamination. These operations include, for example, different industry activities, energy production and treatment of rock material and waste. Some operations also need an environmental permit when located in a groundwater area. Additionally, you will need an environmental permit if the operation may cause excessive hindrance to people. The need for permits is based in the Environmental Protection Act. Read more about the permits in the Environmental Protection Act Chapter 4 (finlex.fi).

In the area of the Environment Office of the Oulu Region, the environmental permits are processed by the Environment Office’s board or the Regional State Administrative Agency. 

Read more about applications and processing from the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish). 

What to do

Deliver the environmental permit application and all appropriate attachments by e-mail or by mail to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. 

You will find the forms and attachments from the Environmental Administration’s website (in Finnish).  

More information about applications

Please contact the Environment Office of the Oulu Region before filing your permit application. The Environment Office will advise you with the application and tell you which authority processes it.  

Please note that permit processing is a multi-stage process, and the processing period can last for months. Deliver the application in time because you are not permitted to begin operations before the permit is granted. Properly filled in forms will speed up the processing time. 

Environmental Protection Act 527/2014 (Finlex)

Government Decree on Environmental Protection 713/2014 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Waste Act 646/2011 (Finlex)

Government Decree on Waste 978/2021 (Finlex)

Government Decree on rock mining and crushing environmental protection 800/2010 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Land Extraction Act 555/1981 (Finlex)

Government Decree on land extraction 926/2005 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Environmental Protection Act 527/2014 (Finlex)

Government Decree on rock mining and crushing environmental protection 800/2010 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Environmental Protection Act 527/2014 (Finlex)

Government Decree on Environmental Protection 713/2014 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Government Decree on Asphalt plant environmental protection regulations 846/2012 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Government Decree on the limitation of emissions into the air from certain activities and installations that use organic solvents 64/2015 (Finlex)

Government Decree on fixed gas station environmental protection regulations 858/2018 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Government Decree on liquid fuel station environmental protection regulations 444/2010 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Government Decree on medium-size energy production plant environmental protection regulations 1065/2017 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Environmental Protection Act 527/2014 (Finlex)

Government Decree on Environmental Protection 713/2014 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Government Decree on animal shelters that require notifications 138/2019 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Traffic

Off-Road Traffic Act 1710/1995 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Water Traffic Act 782/2019 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Environmental Protection

Nature Protection Act 9/2023 (Finlex) (in Finnish)

Water

Water Services Act 119/2001 (Finlex)

Water Act 587/2011 (Finlex)

Environmental Protection

Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport 1672/2009 (Finlex)

Government Decree on the Recovery of Certain Wastes in Earth Construction 843/2017 (Finlex)

Government Decree on domestic wastewater treatment outside sewer network areas 157/2017 (Finlex) (in Finnish)