Consequences of coal mine closures in the Czech Republic

摘要

Deep mine closures in the Ostrava-Karvind coal district, Czech Republic, started at the beginning of the nineties of the last century. They were usually completed by simply backfilling the mine shafts with loose material or filled partly with cement or other stowing components. In this manner the escape routes for mine gases were left open and noxious and explosive gas emissions occurred. After about ten years, the ensuing emergency of such unsatisfactory closures forced the government to provide for large budgetary means in an effort to solve the problem. In the past, there were two deep mine closure projects implemented in the Czech Republic that successfully solved the environmental and safety problems associated with such projects. This paper has concentrated on them.