Łukasz Gawor

Polish legal regulations considering recovery of secondary materials from coal mining dumping grounds

Abstract In the article there is presented temporary situation of coal mining dumping grounds in Poland – their inventarization, localization and environmental impacts. The coal mining dumping grounds in Poland are situated in three coal basins: Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Lower Silesian Coal Basin and Lublin Coal Basin. In all mentioned areas occur ca. 270 coal mining waste dumps, covering surface of over 4400 ha. The main environmental impacts connected with dumping grounds are fire hazards, water pollution and a danger of slope sliding. The question of recovery of coal from disposed wastes with regard to legal regulations is discussed. There are presented technical methods of coal recovery considering environmental protection issues. There is a necessity and technical possibility of recovery of coal from the coal-mining waste dumps. The coal recovery reduces hazards of self-ignition and fires of the dump. It is also economically justified. The analysis of required regulations in legal system in Poland for safe exploitation of secondary materials from coal mining dumps is done. Socio-economic aspects of recovery of coal are discussed. The valid legal regulations in Poland regulate the issues connected with coal mining dumping grounds in a very general way. It is necessary to prepare supplements to the legal provisions or new regulations concerning post-mining dumping grounds.

Arctic Tourism Development with Regard to Legal Regulations and Environmental Protection

Arctic tourism develops very quickly and requires both changing of legal regulations and consid-ering environmental issues. The developing branch of services (significantly tourism) has became an important sector in the shaping of the budget of numerous countries worldwide. World-wide climate changes provide new possibilities of visiting remote countries with severe climate conditions. Global warming is particularly intense in the Arctic, where mean temperatures have recently risen twice as fast as in the rest of the world. A comprehensive set of regulations was recently developed to protect the wilderness of Arctic environment from the negative impact of tourism. The purpose of the paper is to present legal and organizational regulations connected with organization of tourist trips in the Arctic, based on the example of Svalbard area, American Arctic and Russian Arctic. There are described particularly legal regulations that concern cruise operators. These issues have been described based on literature studies, analysis of legal regulations and statistical data. The time range of the study is about 20 years. Also discussed are challenges of tourism as seen in the Northwest Passage, a historical challenge for many sailors and Russian Arctic tourism development. The issues of economic benefits, environmental protection and connections between tourism and climate conditions are presented. There is also a focus on weather enabling tourism in the Arctic. It can be said that new possibilities of visiting remote places with severe climate conditions (e.g. Arctic region) are opening due to global changes. It occurs mainly due to the reduced sea ice cover for longer periods of time, which facilitates tourist access and extends visitor seasons. It has been assumed that global climate change may lead to a shift of tourism demand to higher latitudes, creating additional opportunities for tourism in northern regions.

Wykorzystanie doświadczeń międzynarodowych dla potrzeb rekultywacji i zagospodarowania zwałowisk odpadów pogórniczych

Mining wastes disposed on dumping grounds (tips) are parts of the landscape of every miningbasin. Post mining waste dumps require efficient technical and biological reclamation and rational management.Efficiency of reclamation of examined objects is inseparable connected with their negative environmentalimpacts, particularly self-ignition and fire hazards. These problems are also connected with recoveryof secondary resources, mainly coal particles. Described objects belong though to the perspective anthropogenicsecondary deposits. Processes of recovery are economically justified and their course is controlledby legal regulations. In the paper there are presented experiences from chosen European mining basins(UK, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic) in range of reclamation and management of post mining dumpinggrounds, There are proposed direction of management, which could be used on coal mining waste dumps inPoland, exemplified on the Upper Silesian Coal Basin area (USCB).

Potential conflicts connected with the recovery of secondary materials from post mining waste dump

Abstract Coal mine spoil dumping grounds are present in the landscape of every mining region. Although the composition of waste material is in general safe for the environment (sedimentary rocks – sandstones, mudstones and siltstones), there may be up to 10% of coal particles in disposed wastes. The presence of organic material causes self-ignition processes and fire hazards. There is a need and the possibility of the recovery of coal, and which should be conducted according to legal regulations and environmental protection rules. The recovery should also be preceded by a feasibility study, a drilling campaign, laboratory tests and requires different environmental permissions. Recovery processes are connected with the work of a preparation plant, which is usually linked with protests from the local community and potential conflicts. This article presents the most significant hazards to the environment, health and human life connected with the functions associated with the installation of the recovery processes of coal from waste material deposited on the dumps. The methods of reducing these threats are described with regards to legal regulations, particularly law deeds concerning the safe recovery processes and further reclamation and restoration of degraded post-mining dumping grounds. The role and participation of interested community members at the preparation for investment stage as well as the period of realization of the preparation processes is described. The question of re-using and managing the post-mining dumping grounds after completion of the recovery processes is discussed.

Możliwości eksploatacji złóż wtórnych (zwałowisk pogórniczych) jako przykład zmian w sektorze przemysłu wydobywczego

Polish coal mining industry produces ca. 35 millions Mg of mining wastes per year. There are ca. 250 post – mining dumping grounds in Poland, situated in three coal basins: Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Lower Silesian Coal Basin and Lublin Coal Basin. Post – mining dumping grounds may cause serious environmental hazards. Their negative influence on the natural environment, as well as risks posed to the inhabitants, calls for effective preventative measures. In the paper, presented are distribution and characteristics of post - mining dumping grounds in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The most important environmental issues connected with disposing of wastes are discussed. Technical possibilities of recovery of coal from waste dumps as anthropogenic secondary deposits are analyzed. An example of economical justification of recovery of coal from post – mining dumping ground is presented. Also mentioned are legal regulations connected with exploitation of waste dumps.

Walory turystyczne wybranych regionów Spitsbergenu

The paper presents different attractions of Spitsbergen: geological, geomorphological and glaciological objects and processes, as well as industrial sites especially connected with coalmining, which constitute the group of geotourist attractions in Hornsund, Isfjorden and North East Land. It also describes logistic and infrastructure conditions in Svalbard. The evaluation of possibilities to develop geotourism in Spitsbergen is included as well.