This Act ensures the the exploitation of mineral deposits on land and sea are part of a sustainable development. It applies to stone, gravel, sand, clay, lime, chalk, peat, topsoil and similar minerals. The Minister of Environment sets regulations on quality and quantity of raw materials extracted and used for construction and recycling, for the manufacturing of industrial products, on the processing of certain raw material quality (abstraction) and on waste, replacement products and dredging materials from the Danish marine area and continental shelf to be recovered and recycled as raw material. Permission for these activities is required and is granted by the municipal council authorities. The county council performs a mapping of mineral deposits on land to which the Minister of Environment and Energy shall implement regulations. Specific regulations are set for environmental damage in accordance with articles 7-11 of the Environmental Damage Act, whereby any land contamination as a result of a direct or indirect introduction of substances, organisms or microorganisms to soil or subsoil, results in significant risk to human health.
This Act consists of 10 Chapters: Purpose (1); Mining for household (2); Deposits on land (3); Instances in territorial waters and the continental shelf (4); Expropriation (5); Reports and studies (6); Monitoring (7); Environmental damage (7a); Administrative provisions (8); Appeals and Penalty (9); Entry into force and transitional provisions (10).