171 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The transformation of the mining sector in Poland increasingly affects facilities that are either in the process of phasing out extraction activities or gradually losing their economic viability. One such facility is the Brzeszcze Mining Plant, owned by Południowy Koncern Węglowy S.A., which represents a typical hard coal mine operating under escalating cost pressures, tightening regulatory requirements, and growing environmental constraints. The declining competitiveness of domestic coal production, the implications of climate and energy policies, and structural changes in the energy market collectively weaken the economic rationale for maintaining the traditional production function of such facilities. However, the cessation or substantial reduction of mining operations does not terminate a mine’s interaction with its surrounding environment. The Brzeszcze Mine, similarly to other long-established mining facilities located in historically industrialized regions, generates longterm environmental liabilities. Among the most significant obligations is the requirement for continuous dewatering of underground workings and the management and discharge of saline mine waters. These processes must be sustained for many years following the termination of extraction activities to ensure hydrogeological stability and to protect adjacent areas from flooding and groundwater rebound. Consequently, despite the progressive decline in production, the mine continues to incur considerable operational expenditures and exerts ongoing pressure on the aquatic environment. This situation underscores the need for integrated transition strategies that comprehensively address both the economic and environmental dimensions of the phase-out process and the post-mining stage. Such strategies should incorporate long-term environmental management obligations, financial sustainability, and the identification of alternative functions that enable the productive use of existing infrastructure and resources in a manner consistent with sustainable development objectives. The currently dominant approach to mine closure focuses primarily on technical decommissioning and the mitigation of negative environmental impacts. Within this framework, post-mining infrastructure is generally perceived as a financial liability requiring sustained public support. In practice, this results in long-term expenditures associated with drainage, land reclamation, and environmental monitoring, without generating durable economic value or new development opportunities for local communities. In the context of the energy transition and the concept of a just transition for mining regions, a fundamental question arises as to whether existing mines in the decommissioning phase can be utilized more efficiently and responsibly. A key challenge is the transformation of the Brzeszcze Mine from a facility generating long-term environmental costs into an infrastructure asset capable of reducing environmental pressures, creating sustainable economic value, and strengthening public trust in the transition process. Addressing this challenge requires a shift from an approach based solely on decommissioning and compensating for the impacts of past mining activities toward models
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2