Mine Waters of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland) in Polish Law Regulations and the European Directives

摘要

A specific group of underground waters of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) are waters flowing into mine workings of the coal mines. Their chemical compositions were shaped by natural processes occurring in the hydrogeological system and human (mine) activities (anthropopressure). The pollutants in mine waters are of geogenic or anthropogenic origin. Mine waters pumped out from the mine workings may be used as drinking or industrial waters or can flow into streams, rivers as wastes. According to the Polish law regulations the waters pumped out of the mines of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) are groundwater and waste waters. This paper presents the criteria of assessing the chemical composition of mine waters based on threshold values of the physical and chemical indexes which are mentioned in:Water European Directives,Water Law in Poland,Orders of Minister of Health and Environment in Poland.