Greenpeace warns against breaking of Czech coal mining limits
Thursday, 15 Oct 2009
Greenpeace activists protested against a proposal by Czech Industry and Trade Minister Mr Vladimir Tosovsky which may allegedly lead to the breaking of coal mining limits in northern Bohemia, on the roof of the Government Office building during a cabinet meeting.
Greenpeace Czech branch spokeswoman Ms Lenka Borakova told CTK that the activists want to point to the fact that the schedule of measures of the Czech gas industry preventing a possible gas crisis submitted by Mr Tosovsky office includes the reassessment of the coal mining limits the government set in the 1990s.
The coal mining limits protect the villages of Horni Jiretin and Cernice in north Bohemia from liquidation demanded by the Czech Coal mining company. The locals rejected extended coal mining and the liquidation of their municipalities in a referendum four years ago. Czech Coal said it is willing to invest up to 22 billion crowns to get to the coal deposits.
The Green Party wants to push through the maintaining of the limits on brown coal mining. Other parties mostly claim that it is necessary to mine more coal or build more nuclear power plants or even both at once.
Greenpeace said Mr Tosovsky plans to support the construction of large underground gas containers but he also promotes projects that have been rejected by all Czech post-communist governments so far: break coal mining limits and open a new uranium mine.
Mr Jan Rovensky Greenpeace member said "Minister Tosovsky should explain the citizens why he wants to demolish Dolni Jiretin while he ignores cheaper and faster ways of getting rid of the dependence on Russian gas."
Mr Tosovsky proposal is a reaction to the temporary stop of gas supplies from Russia in January. Tosovsky who was nominated to the caretaker cabinet of Jan Fischer by the Civic Democrats is to present a new energy plan recently.
