Polish, Czech governments sign deal on lignite mine

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Polish, Czech governments sign deal on lignite mine

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and SAMUEL PETREQUIN
February 3, 2022

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The prime ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic said on Thursday they have signed an agreement settling a long-running dispute over a lignite mine on the border of the two countries.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the agreement means that Poland’s Turow open-pit mine and the adjacent Turow power plant, which is fueled by the mine, will continue to operate without obstacles.

Last year the Czech Republic took the dispute to the European Court of Justice, arguing that Poland had ignored its protests and the mine was draining water from Czech villages, causing excessive noise and causing other environmental harm.

The European Court of Justice ordered Poland to close the colliery pending its ruling, and in September imposed a fine of 500,000 euros for each day the mine continues to operate. Poland refused to pay the fine and said it could not close the mine, which supplies a power plant that generates almost 9% of the nation’s energy. The fine has grown to over 68 million euros.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-europe-environment-prague-d3ffe2cfbb765b15c9bd82f827d7df64

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Ah, Lignite -- the dirtiest, most polluting form of coal there is.