For the past two years, the Turów Mine exemplarily implements the provisions of the Polish-Czech Agreement

The Turów Mine reliably and timely implements the provisions of the Polish-Czech agreement, which, in practice, translates into the possibility of its continued operation, thereby ensuring Poland's energy security and independence, and for the residents - the certainty of maintaining their jobs and further development of the region. The implementation of the provisions of the agreement guarantees - in accordance with the principle of prevention - the certainty that the mine will maintain the highest level of environmental care for the next 20 years.

The Polish-Czech agreement that ended the dispute around the Turów Mine is being implemented by us with the utmost care. This is one of the priority tasks for us, as is fulfilling the provisions of the environmental decision. The implementation of the intergovernmental agreement guarantees that the Turów Mine will be able to continue to mine the fuel necessary to produce about 7% of the country's energy, with respect for the environment. With our actions, we secure, among others, the issues of groundwater, the level of sound intensity or the amount of dust pollution emitted, fulfilling all obligations towards the Czech Republic in an exemplary manner," emphasises Sławomir Wochna, Manager of the Turów Lignite Mine.

Underground anti-filtration screen - increase in groundwater table level by up to 4.64 metres

In an intergovernmental agreement signed on 3 February 2022 Poland undertook, among other things, to complete the construction of an underground anti-filtration screen to prophylactically protect waters in the Czech territory from the potential impact of the Turów Mine. The mine has already completed this investment and tests on the effectiveness of the underground barrier confirm that it is fully functional. In control boreholes located to the south of the mine, i.e. on the side of the Polish-Czech border, increases in groundwater tables by up to 4.64 metres have been recorded. The Turów Mine conducts piezometric measurements on an ongoing basis and the results are reported to the Czech side.

An update of the hydrogeological model of the Turów Mine area is currently underway, taking into account the impact of the constructed anti-filtration screen. It will be the most realistic representation of the hydrogeological situation in the area. There are huge expectations from both the Polish and Czech sides connected with the model update, and although work on the model is still ongoing, there is already visible pressure from opponents of the Turów Mine to question its results in advance. The Turów Mine is not the only facility that can affect the water levels in the rock mass in the Czech border areas. The sensitivity of the water intake in the Czech village of Uhelna depends, among other things, on atmospheric recharge, the maintenance of the exploitation regime, i.e. the amount of pumped water in relation to the abundance of the intake, and the drainage of its resources by the Grabštejn gravel mine in Czechia, adjacent to the intake. Data from this facility, which is so important for modelling, were not fully provided to the Polish side despite numerous requests. The aforementioned atmospheric recharge, or to be more precise, the lack of it due to drought, is a key issue in an independent study by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management of 2020, prepared on the basis of a thirty year observation period of the border area with Czechia, including the Turów Mine.

In accordance with the provisions of the Polish-Czech Agreement, meetings of geology and hydrogeology experts - with the participation of the Czech Geological Survey, the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute, the Poland’s Government Agent for the Implementation of the Agreement and representatives of the PGE GiEK company - are organised at the Turów Mine every 3 months in order to document the efficiency of water outflows in the southern part of the mine. In addition to the survey work in the field, panel discussions are held to exchange expert views on the hydrogeology of the transboundary area. During these meetings the Turów mine has agreed to conduct water flow measurements in order to keep its activities transparent.

Earth embankment with vegetation - earthworks 75% complete

Another investment resulting from the implementation of the Polish-Czech agreement is the construction of an above-ground embankment between the mine and the Czech Republic’s land with vegetation to obstruct the view of the Turów energy complex. Work on this task began with the development and acceptance by both parties of a design and investment schedule. The project is progressing according to plan, with 75% of the groundwork forming the embankment already completed. According to the design documentation agreed with the Czech side, the embankment will be 5 metres high, approximately 40 metres wide at the base and just over a kilometre long.

Noise emissions - continuous measurement with online access

The Czech side can check noise emissions online from a new technical noise measurement point in Opolno-Zdroj, the location of which had been previously agreed with the Czech Republic. Since March 2023, this point has been measuring noise continuously, which gives the Czech side the opportunity to check the noise emissions generated by the mine on an ongoing basis as well as to assess their level. In the acoustic climate in the immediate vicinity of the Turów Mine, there are no exceedances of the permissible noise standards caused by the activities of the Turów opencast.

Air emissions - two new automatic air pollution measurement stations

In accordance with the agreement, the Turów Mine has installed two automatic air pollution measurement stations - one in the northern and one in the southern vicinity of the mine, in Działoszyn and Jasna Góra. Their exact locations were agreed upon shortly after the signing of the agreement; both stations were installed in October 2022, and since 19 January 2023 the measurements collected from them have been transmitted directly to the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection and to the Czech side, in accordance with the data quality principles for air quality assessment specified in the European Union law. In addition, in an effort to reduce emissions, the Turów Mine has installed a specialised fogging system on the coal bunker. The main activity limiting dust emissions from the heap areas of Kopalnia Turów is the reclamation of post-mining areas into forestry carried out by the Mine. The Turów Mine has so far reclaimed nearly 2,700 ha of land, of which 2,300 ha of forest areas were handed over to the State Forests. Approximately 22 million trees have been planted on the heaps, which has increased the forest cover rate in the Bogatynia Municipality from 27% to 30%. There are no exceedances of acceptable air quality standards caused by the Turów Mine.

Small Project Fund

Based on the provisions of the Polish-Czech agreement, a dedicated Small Projects Fund was established to strengthen environmental protection in the Czech and Polish areas neighbouring the Turów Mine, through which local and regional environmental projects can be financed. The fund has an equal distribution of financial contributions to the fund - annually EUR 250,000 each from the Polish and Czech sides. PGE also participates in the funds paid into the Fund. Entities from Czechia and Poland can already apply for resources from the Fund to finance local pro-environmental projects, and all applications submitted to the Fund are assessed by an Evaluation Committee, composed of an equal number of representatives from the Liberec Region and the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Region and the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Currently, the Euroregion Nysa is already running the second call for applications within the Turów Small Project Fund.