Turvetuotannon sosiaalisen toimiluvan menetys Saarijärven reitillä

Following the 1970s oil crisis the search for alternative energy sources intensified in Finland. As a result, peat harvesting from peat bogs was launched programmatically. This included peat bogs around the Saarijärvi waterway in central Finland, consisting today about 50 peat harvesting sites. As in a number of cases, these peat harvesting operations are opposed by the local residents, who insist that peat harvesting is spoiling the waters, and thus damaging recreational activities like fishing, swimming, and the enjoyment of nature. The aim of our study was to investigate the situation in greater detail by eliciting local residents’ experiences. In the fall of 2015 a questionnaire was sent to the residents of four municipalities in the area, producing 478 responses, a response rate of 23.9 per cent, which represents the local population fairly well. Peat harvesting was reportedly the most harmful source of water pollution. The results were analyzed using the concept of social license to operate. A generalization can be made that peat production in the district has largely lost local residents’ approval.