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The Czech government announced on Monday that it would refer Poland to the European Court of Justice over plans to expand the operation of the Turow lignite mine on the Polish side of the border. Prague has accused the Polish government of violating EU law by extending the mine’s license to operate without properly assessing the environmental consequences, writes Notes from Poland.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the action will be presented in late February or early March. As a temporary measure, the Czechs are also requesting the suspension of mining in Turow until the Court of Justice of the European Union issues a final judgment.
Two weeks ago, Czech Foreign Minister Tomás Petrícek visited Warsaw to find a compromise solution, but Petrícek said the negotiations “did not turn out as expected.”
The Czech legal measure hit Poland unexpectedly, “it was a surprise for us because we had the impression that last week’s meeting went well,” said Aleksander Brzózka, spokesman for the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment. “There were suggestions from the Czech side, to which we did not respond immediately, but we are still ready to find an out-of-court solution.”
Turow’s mine and power plant operator, the Polish state power group (PGE), was also surprised by the news of the lawsuit. “We don’t fully understand it,” added Sandra Apanasionek, a spokeswoman for the company, adding that the Czech side was regularly consulted when the mine’s license was extended until 2026. By the way, the Polish Ministry of the Environment already plans extend the mining permit until 2044, as extractable coal is expected to be depleted by then.
Thirsty field
Conflict has been on the agenda for some time. The Turow mine is located near the Czech-German border, and people living in the area have regularly complained about the environmental impact of the open pit mine. According to residents of Uhelná on the Czech side, the noise is so unbearable when the wind blows from the mine that it is impossible to stay outdoors. Although noise and air pollution are also problems, Czech and German officials and activists agree that the most serious problem is the water supply.
According to a recent report by the Geological Survey of the Czech Republic, the rate of decline in groundwater is “very frightening”. If mining continues, it will cause a daily water supply problem for some 30,000 people on the Czech side alone.
There is a family who goes to relatives who live 40 kilometers away to wash their clothes regularly because there is not enough water.
Another family pumps water from a nearby stream to bathe and wash. A local farmer was forced to kill his cows because he did not have enough water for the animals. Numerous cases of this type are reported by people who live in the area.
Before the Czech government announced its intention to take legal action, it demanded Poland to compensate for the damage to the groundwater and to bear the costs of the investments in water supply in the villages adjacent to the mine.
Coal is one of the most water-consuming sources of energy, making the local coal industry the largest consumer of water in many countries. An average coal-fired power plant uses as much water in less than four minutes as would be enough to fill a swimming pool.
Both the Polish Ministry of the Environment and the state company that operates the mine, PGE, vehemently denied allegations that the mine had lowered water levels.
The Turow coal mine and power plant are not only among the largest emitters of CO2, but they also violate EU water laws, with alarming consequences for communities in neighboring countries. If the committee is serious about the European Green Deal and the rule of law, it must ensure full and proper implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, he said. Jeremy Wates, Secretary General of the European Environment Agency in June last year.
The Czech Republic took the matter to the European Commission last September. The committee said in December that while concerns about water and the environment were “unfounded” based on the evidence and arguments raised, Warsaw had violated a number of EU laws by failing to properly consult its neighbors before renewing the mine permit.
The price of electricity
The lawsuit could take several years and if the EU court rules in favor of Prague, Warsaw will have to pay millions of euros for violating EU law. In addition, the court may decide, within a few weeks of the action, to suspend the operation of the mine as a provisional measure, pending a final judgment. These measures have already been applied in the past, for example in the case of the Białowieża forest in 2017, when a court ordered Poland to stop logging immediately.
I cannot imagine this scenario. Such a decision would have catastrophic consequences, a PGE spokesperson said. – The Turow power plant provides about 5 percent of Poland’s electricity supply. The closure of the mine would result in the closure of the power plant.
The disconnection of 5 per cent of Poland’s electricity supply, in addition to overnight, would put pressure on Poland’s electricity supply, which is already overloaded to meet the growing demand for energy. Poland is being forced to import more and more electricity, mainly from Germany.
The current conflict also highlights the Polish government’s dilemma: either continue to sweep the problem of closing coal mines under the carpet for short-term political gains, or accelerate the green transition in the energy sector and address societal challenges. to close the coal. industry, writes Notes from Poland.
(Cover Image: Turow Power Plant and Coal Mine on February 11, 2020. Photo: Omar Marques / Getty Images)
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