The article presents a proposal for the new rules for the selection of deposits, which due to their value should be protected as Mineral Deposits of Public Importance (MDoPI) on national level. It was assumed that safeguarding should cover only the largest recognized deposits in terms of resources located in areas not excluding exploitation, which meet jointly two criteria: the total resources of the largest deposits should cover at least 50% of national geological resources and simultaneously they should meet the criterion of security of supply minerals for at least 50 years, with average demand calculated based on data from the last 10 years. Using the above criteria, analysis of the following deposits was performed: gypsum and anhydrite, basalt, granite, granodiorite, erratic boulder and syenite, dolomite, marl, travertine, limestone and dolomitic limestone, quartzite, greywacke, sandstone, quartzite sandstone, marl and limestone for the cement industry as well as limestone and marl for the lime industry. In total, 828 deposits were analyzed, and the assumed criteria were fulfilled in this group of deposits by a total number of 82 deposits. Among them, 6 deposits are very conflict, 71 – conflict, and 5 – partly conflict. In the case of several very conflict deposits, there is a high probability that their exploitation will not be possible, so meeting the criteria will require extending the list of deposits by 6 other ones. It was proposed that the verification of valorisation of deposits classified as MDoPI should be carried out periodically – not more often than every 5, but not less than every 10 years. This task should belong to the duties of the geological survey.
Total of 54 samples (of sediments taken from the surface of 5-cm layer of profundal zone of lakes in the catchment of the river Brda) were tested in presented research. The collected samples were analysed for the concentrations of Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, Sr, V and Zn, and Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, P and S, using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), after sample digestion in aqua regia. The Hg concentration was determined from solid samples using atomic absorption spectroscopy (TMA). The organic carbon content was determined using the coulometric method. Sediments of most of lakes examined in the Brda catchment area are characterised by low concentrations of trace elements. Sediments contained an average of 0.9 mg/kg of Cd, 0.107 mg/kg of Hg, 8 mg/kg of Ni, 46 mg/kg of Pb, 8 mg/kg of As, 78 mg/kg of Ba, 12 mg/kg of Cr, 94 mg/kg of Zn, 3 mg/kg of Co, 12 mg/kg of Cu, 1.3 mg/kg of Mo, 105 mg/kg of Sr and 16 mg/kg of V. The presence of elevated concentrations of chromium, copper, nickel and vanadium is controlled by a geogenic factor - weathering of glacial deposits containing fragments of igneous and metamorphic rocks which are the source of heavy metals. The presence of elevated contents of Pb, Zn, Hg and Cd is caused by anthropogenic factor. Most of the lake sediments show low concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg and Ni, which do not pose a threat to aquatic organisms. The concentrations of lead in almost half of the samples are elevated to a level at which a negative effect of this element can be observed. In the case of zinc, the proportion of such samples is about 25%.
Upon accession to the European Union, economic growth became accelerated in Poland, resulting in a boost in infrastructure development. This led to a marked growth in demand for natural sand-gravel aggregates and other raw materials used in road construction. To meet the demand for suitable raw materials, the Ministry of Environment commissioned the Polish Geological Institute–National Research Institute to start a re-evaluation of earlier raw material prognoses assessments in order to delineate prognostic areas for development of new resources. The re-evaluation has been conducted by the PGI-NRI within the frame of the compilation of the Geoenvironmental Map of Poland at the scale of 1:50 000, making it possible to identify potential conflicts with land-use plans as well as already established NATURA 2000 and other natural heritage conservation designations and more or less continuous built up areas which preclude or at least impede exploitation of mineral raw materials. The analyses also covered economic factors related to costs of transport and the current economic criteria of mineral resources and reserves. At the first stage of the project (between 2008 and 2012) the re-evaluation was conducted in 432 prognostic areas with a total area of over 33 thousands of hectares. According to the current economic criteria of sand-gravel aggregate deposits there were estimated resources of over 5 mld tons, of which around 3 mld tons of aggregates were suitable for road investments and over 2 mld tons of aggregates were suitable for construction. The work has made it possible to re-evaluate the occurrences of natural aggregates in the vicinities of urban centers and along corridors delineated for selected planned motorways and expressways as well as those under construction. The study was compiled especially for business entities involved in construction projects or the exploitation of mineral resources and state administrative units as a tool to support land-use planning and management at the level of individual communes, counties (poviats) and voivodeships. Re-evaluated prognostic areas data are gathered in spatial database and are available through WMS service on the Geoenvironmental Map of Poland portal (emgsp.pgi.gov.pl).
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