The decision to appeal was made by a unanimous municipal board and concerns the exemption that the Chemicals Inspectorate granted in September to the company Senior Material.
Now we hope that the authorities will listen to us, says the chairman of the municipal board Jimmy Jansson (S) according to Eskilstuna-Kuriren.
Methylene chloride was banned in Sweden in 1996 and the substance can lead to, among other things, cancer and nerve damage. When inhaled directly, it can be fatal.
The company uses it as a solvent in the production of separator film, a key component in the production of electric car batteries. According to the inspection, the application has shown that employees will not be exposed to "unacceptable risks", and that there is no alternative substance to use.
But the decision has sparked great anger among the people of Eskilstuna, who have protested.
The company's production – which has not yet begun – is also based on a permit from the Environmental Review Board, since part of the chemical will be released into the air. According to the environmental permit, which has been tried by the Land and Environment Court, the factory is allowed to release 900 tons of methylene chloride per year.
The municipality has requested a review of the environmental permit.
The Chemicals Inspectorate's exemption applies to the use of 1,280 tons of methylene chloride between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2027. This can be compared to the 310 tons that a total of 29 companies were granted an exemption to use during the years 2013–2023, which Dagens Arbete previously reported on.
