Talvivaaran Kaivososakeyhtiö Oyj - Company Announcement

Talvivaara received the permission to discharge excess waters - discharge will now commence

Stock Exchange Release
Talvivaara Mining Company Plc
12 February 2013


 Talvivaara received the permission to discharge excess waters - discharge will
                                  now commence


Talvivaara Mining Company Plc ("Talvivaara" or the "Company") has on 12 February
2013 received a permit decision from the Kainuu Centre for Economic Development,
Transport  and the Environment ("Kainuu ELY Centre") to discharge purified waste
waters.

The  discharge permit combined with the discharge quota in Talvivaara's existing
environmental  permit allow  the Company  to progress  with its water management
plans  as planned. These plans aim to  prepare for environmental risks caused by
excess  water on mine  site and in  safety dams as  a result of  the gypsum pond
leakage before the spring melt, and ensure that ore production can be re-started
in July 2013.

The  monitoring authority Kainuu ELY Centre permits Talvivaara to discharge 1.8
million  m(3) of neutralised waste water into the Vuoksi and Oulujoki waterways,
such that 0.9 million m(3) is discharged into each direction by 30 June 2013.

Additionally  Talvivaara can direct 0.5 million m(3)  of waters currently in the
open  pit into the Kuusilampi  pond in the vicinity  of the pit, and continue to
discharge   within   the  1.3 million  m(3)  discharge  quota  in  its  existing
environmental permit.

According  to the Kainuu  ELY Centre, the  permitting authority Northern Finland
Regional  Administrative Agency  ("AVI") can  in addition  to Kainuu  ELY Centre
resolve upon additional discharges beyond the now authorized 1.8 million m(3) by
amending  the permit  conditions of  Talvivaara's existing environmental permit.
The  Kainuu ELY  Centre considers  that the  process should  be initiated at AVI
without  delay. Talvivaara  has already  applied for  removal of the 1.3 million
m(3)  annual  discharge  quota  in  connection  with  the  update process of its
existing  environmental permit. While the decision  on the overall update of the
environmental permit is expected in the spring, Kainuu ELY Centre expediting the
matter  may assist in  removing the discharge  quota already earlier. The Kainuu
ELY  Centre can  also allow  discharging waters  beyond the currently authorized
1.8 million  m(3) if  AVI has  not resolved  upon an  executable decision on the
matter  by  the  time  the  currently  allowed  discharge  quota  is about to be
exhausted.

Talvivaara's   original  notification  under  Section  62 of  the  Environmental
Protection  Act proposed a  discharge requirement of  3.8 million m(3) in total.
However,  Talvivaara considers these arrangements and the 1.3 million m(3) quota
in the existing environmental permit to enable the commencement of planned water
management  arrangements and their implementation  in the short term. Talvivaara
believes  these measures to also  enable the re-start of  ore production in July
2013 in accordance with the 2013 production plan. However, in order to achieve a
sustainable longer-term water balance and permanent reduction in the operation's
risk  level, Talvivaara continues  to consider the  discharge of the entire 3.8
million  m(3) or removal of the 1.3 million m(3) discharge quota in the existing
environmental permit to be necessary.

Talvivaara  will commence  the neutralisation  and discharge  of waters from the
mine  site without delay in accordance with  the Kainuu ELY Centre decision. The
quality  of discharged waters is targeted to be in line with the requirements of
Talvivaara's environmental permit, and any impact of the discharge on downstream
waters is monitored continuously.


Enquiries
Talvivaara Mining Company Plc Tel +358 20 7129 800
Pekka Perä, CEO
Saila Miettinen-Lähde, Deputy CEO and CFO

Talvivaara Mining Company Plc
Talvivaara Mining Company is an internationally significant base metals producer
with  its  primary  focus  on  nickel  and  zinc  using  a  technology  known as
bioheapleaching  to extract metals out  of ore. Bioheapleaching makes extraction
of  metals  from  low  grade  ore  economically  viable. The Talvivaara deposits
comprise  one of the largest known sulphide  nickel resources in Europe. The ore
body  is  estimated  to  support  anticipated  production  for  several decades.
Talvivaara has secured a 10-year off-take agreement for 100 per cent of its main
output  of nickel and cobalt to Norilsk Nickel and entered into a long-term zinc
streaming  agreement with Nyrstar  NV. Talvivaara is  listed on the London Stock
Exchange  Main Market and NASDAQ OMX  Helsinki. Further information can be found
at www.talvivaara.com.

[HUG#1677329]

Attachments:

Talvivaara received the permission to discharge excess waters 12.2.13.pdf