Brown coal mining limits in North Bohemia

The low quality technology used for large-scale burning of brown coal led to a sharp increase in the content of harmful sulfur dioxide and aerosols in the atmosphere.

The limits hence served as a government guarantee to North Bohemian communities that their environment would no longer continue to deteriorate and that their very existence has a long-term future, i.e. that it is worth purchasing property there, building and renovating houses, reconstructing roads and utilities, establishing businesses, etc.

[9] Another major voice in the pro-limits camp is Martin Říha, a former Deputy Minister for the Environment from 1990 to 1992, and a well-known Czech architect and expert in Environmental Impact Assessment.

And finally it should also be taken into consideration whether it's sensible to use coal as a fuel and to burn valuable future sources of hydrocarbons today with an efficiency of 35 – 42% and not leave part of the reserves in the ground for another generation and better technology.

It has also staged dozens of public awareness events – from the creation of a new outdoor living area for the people of Horní Jiřetín through to the unfolding of a huge banner with a cartoon depiction of Prime Minister Petr Nečas on one the bucket-wheel excavators in the Czechoslovak Army mine that endangers Horní Jiřetín, to repeated squatting on the roof and garden of the Office of the Czech Government during governmental sittings.

[13] Two years later and “after a massive Mostecká uhelna [mining company] campaign and an intense "screening phase" to persuade residents to move,”[12] 75% of citizens voted in municipal elections to promote the preservation of the town.

On this basis, municipality representatives passed a resolution that they would not negotiate with the mining company over the demolition of the town and would take substantive steps not only to ensure its preservation, but primarily its development as well.

Unlike the current version of the Mining Act, it provides for a very risky and problematic conflict between landowners and the owner of this mineral wealth, which is the state,” said Klaus as part of his rationale.

[16] With the end of President Klaus's second term in office in January 2013, the two contenders to take over from him following the first round of voting in new direct elections were in opposing positions regarding the mining limits.

Even in the voting district of Horní Jiřetín, Zeman won with 60% of the ballots cast,[19] although this outcome was most likely to be a result of the negative campaign against Schwarzenberg that attempted to smear him as an "Austrian" apologist for the former German Sudeten population from the border regions ready to offer restitution for their lost property and his association with his highly unpopular deputy party leader, Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (the newspaper tabloid, Blesk, for example, published a full-page advertisement prior to the second and final round of voting alleging that Schwarzenberg was being backed by Bavarian Euro MP and German Sudeten leader Berndt Posselt, which was untrue).

[20] Not long after his elevation to the presidency, Zeman gave his express support to communist regional hejtman Oldřich Bubeníček on the mining limits issue.

At the start of March 2013 Litvínovská uhelná filed a request with the same administration for the repeal of a ban on deep mining in two of the “protective pillars” that safeguard the adjacent slopes of the Krušný (Ore) Mountains from slippage.

If that fails, we will at least want the populated areas and their surrounds to remain untouchable by the deep mines up to a distance of 500 m", said Jan Rovenský of the Greenpeace energy section.

The theme of the campaign was “security for the region” and featured images of local residents in a variety of occupations, such as baker, electrician, miner, etc., whose livelihoods would be “threatened by the slow-down in mining.

The gradual restrictions on operations and lay-offs will also negatively impact on their business, especially in a decline in orders and sales.”[29] The images were accompanied in each case with the caption “I also have a job thanks to coal!”.

In July 2013, Litvínovská uhelná hired the STEM research agency to conduct a survey of public opinion in Horní Jiřetín and Černice in connection with its intention to continue mining coal beyond the limits after 2023.

"The aim of the survey is to initiate a broader discussion with the residents and get the truest possible picture of the opinions, demands and views of the citizens of Horní Jiřetín and Černice for dealing with their situation in the event that the current mining limits are repealed," said company spokeswoman Gabriela Sáričková-Benesova.

After Litvínovská uhelná changed its name to Severní energetická in August 2013, it initiated a new marketing campaign featuring individuals and small groups of people wearing green T-shirts against a background of a power plant or an excavator accompanied with the slogan “Don’t pay for sun [or wind].

However, it is important to note that the Zemanovci obtained a mere 1.5% on the basis of an election manifesto that included the breaching of the mining limits, and therefore they don’t have even a hypothetical mandate for making this decision.

[40] Former Environment Minister Martin Bursík, attending the demonstration in support of the mining limits, clashed with Communist Party regional hejtman Oldřich Bubeníček.

[40] Responding to these criticisms, Rusnok insisted that it was perfectly valid for his government to consider repealing the limits and making changes to the Czech Republic's energy plan.

[41] Joining the debate, Green Party leader Ondřej Liška warned that the potential repeal of the limits would open the door to an amendment to the Mining Act that would provide for the re-entry of an expropriation clause.

"If the Czechoslovak Army Mine were to come within sight of the Janov housing estate [in Litvinov], and it's planned to within about 500 m, it would naturally mean a significant deterioration in the environment for the town's inhabitants.

[43] Šťovíček and his fellow mayors from Horní Jiřetín, Háje u Duchcova, and Nová Ves v Horách also held discussions with the incoming prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka.

The newly installed ANO Minister of Environment, Richard Brabec, explained that this was the result of pressure from other coalition partners, but he was nevertheless confident that the new government would not repeal the limits.

In the immediate wake of Brabec's statement, Greenpeace published survey results it had commissioned on attitudes to the mining limits in the Ústí nad Labem Region.

[46] Meanwhile, Social Democrat Minister of Industry and Trade, Jan Mládek, traveled to the region himself to conduct his own research into the arguments from the opposing camps.

Mládek admitted during his visit that postponement of the extensions to the nuclear power plant in Temelín in South Bohemia would play a part in the decision-making over coal and the mining limits.

On his return to the region in early 2015, Mládek announced that the state would most likely repeal the limits to permit further extraction around the coal mine near the town of Bílina where no demolition of houses would be required.

[48] The government would focus on the limits in March as part of its evaluation of the state's raw material policy when the minister would also propose a ten-fold increase in payments made to town affected by mining.