Polish, Czech leaders seek to resolve coal mine dispute

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The government leaders of Poland and the neighboring Czech Republic held intensive talks Tuesday in an attempt to solve a years-long dispute that resurfaced recently over a Polish coal mine.


The Czech government says the brown coal Turow mine, located in southwestern Poland, near the Czech and German borders, is draining สล็อตxo groundwater from communities and causing other environmental harm to Czech citizens.


It took the case to the top European Union court, which last week issued a temporary injunction ordering Poland to immediately halt coal extraction at the site pending the court's full ruling.


But Polish authorities are defying the order, saying they cannot close the mine because doing so would lead to power cuts for millions of Poles, suspend the operation of industrial plants and eliminate tens of thousands of jobs. The mine directly fuels a power plant that produces up to 7% of Poland's energy.


The dispute underlines coal's potential as an irritant in relations among EU nations as the bloc seeks to reach an ambitious goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. Poland has made some progress toward developing green energy and closing coal mines, but the process has been slow. and hampered by the country's historic dependence on coal to heat homes and power industry.