Coal mining areas: environmental issues and solutions (on the example of Kuzbass)

Rozdział z: Functioning of the Local Production Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries and Siberia. Case Studies and Comparative Studies, ed. Mariusz E. Sokołowicz.Having survived restructuring period during which the volume of production halved, since 1999 the coal industry has seen a significant growth of its production. However, the positive trends are accompanied by negative impacts for the environment. Further growth of coal has its limits both from economic and ecological points of view. This paper focuses on the environmental side of the issue, particularly on problems of emissions and wastes producing by coal mining and withdrawal of lands from land use. For Kuzbass as the first in Russia coal mining area, the impact of the coal industry on the environment is excessive, and consequently those problems are particularly acute. To solve the complex of environmental issues, it is necessary to raise environmental performance to a new qualitative level. That will require more financial, technological legislative and managerial decisions.Monograph financed under a contract of execution of the international scientific project within 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, co-financed by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (title: “Functioning of the Local Production Systems in the Conditions of Economic Crisis (Comparative Analysis and Benchmarking for the EU and Beyond”)). Monografia sfinansowana w oparciu o umowę o wykonanie projektu między narodowego w ramach 7. Programu Ramowego UE, współfinansowanego ze środków Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego (tytuł projektu: „Funkcjonowanie lokalnych systemów produkcyjnych w warunkach kryzysu gospodarczego (analiza porównawcza i benchmarking w wybranych krajach UE oraz krajach trzecich”))