Sustainable Social and Environmental Evaluation of Post-Industrial Facilities in a Closed Loop Perspective in Coal-Mining Areas in Poland

Abstract

The article discusses issues related to the circular economy ideas applied to post-industrial facilities and infrastructure in Polish coal-mining areas. The aim of the article is to indicate directions for sustainability-oriented actions on reusing the remnants of closed mining plants and reshaping the areas which will be transformed under the just transition principles. For this purpose, the article reviews the terminology related to inventories of such facilities and their classification, and also indicates some locations of such facilities. The authors discuss the problem of legal regulations related to the process of closing a mining plant in Poland and also to EU guidelines on the allocation of financial resources from the Just Transition Fund (addressing the EU coal industry, climate change and the potential for clean energy solutions). This research aims at reviewing current research on the above aspects and at raising the problem of managing post-industrial facilities in light of their discontinued function due to mine closure. The article offers a preliminary diagnosis of the scale of research required to investigate the above problems in the view of the expected coal-exit in the Polish economy.

AHP algorithm used to select suitable abandoned underground mines for energy storage infrastructure – iCAES technology. A specific case study for León (Spain)

“…In the study of the case: ideal site for develop an iCAES in abandoned coal mines in Leon region (Spain). Criteria and sub-criteria Mathematical scale (AHP) → values 1 5 9 Mining Mining sector and economy <1% GDP <10% GDP >20% GDP Accessibility Distance to main roads (dv), km >25 (10, 25) <10 Climatology/altitude mine entrance, m >1500 (900, 1500) <900 Electricity Renewable generation sources, MW <10 <50 <100 Distance to evacuation points, km >25 <10 0 Sensitive Areas Urban centers, km <20 [ 20 , 30 ] ≥30 Environmental areas Natural Park LIC, ZEPA None Cultural heritage areas <5 5 ≥10 …”

“…Currently, most subterranean infrastructures are abandoned without further use [ 29 , 30 ], but they could be reused to promote circular economy for a current and necessary purpose. This would contribute to achieving several sustainable development goals [ 31 ] and introducing circular economy in the mining sector, given the fact that it is still in the early stages of integration [ 32 ], especially in the coal sub-sector [ 33 ].…”

Association Between Directors With Foreign Experience and Firms’ Environmental Disclosure

“…This study enriches research concerning environmental protection behavior by considering directors' foreign experience influencing firms' environmental information disclosure. Both external elements such as environmental regulation (Katarzyna et al, 2020), geographical location (Q. Li et al, 2023), and legal environment (Liu & Liu, 2022), and internal aspects, including firm size, firm image, corporate governance, and development opportunities (Samara et al, 2018) impact environmental protection behavior.…”

Challenges Related to the Transformation of Post-Mining Underground Workings into Underground Laboratories

“…Many of these facilities could be beneficial for non-mining activities, but in reality, most of them become abandoned during or after the end of the mining activities. Still, as pointed out by the authors of [4], these underground constructions are well fitted to hosting earth science and astroparticle and particle physics experiments [5], which in the long term, could be profitable as well. One of the most utilised properties of the underground environment is its natural shielding and even isolation from surface factors, including seasonal and weather changes, electromagnetic waves, and cosmic radiation [6].…”