Police investigate Czech mine reclamation over ČSA funds

The National Centre Against Organized Crime (NCOZ) is examining developments surrounding the reclamation of lignite mines. Deník N reported this today, and NCOZ spokesperson Jaroslav Ibehej confirmed the information to the newspaper. Severní energetická and the Ministry of the Environment are in dispute over the conditions for reclaiming the ČSA mine.

"In general terms, we can only state that the NCOZ is dealing with circumstances connected with the reclamation of lignite mines. No further information can be provided at this time," Ibehej told Deník N.

On 3 August, Severní energetická announced that it intends to decide itself how to use the money it saved on reclamation of the ČSA lignite mine in the Most region. It plans to negotiate directly with municipalities around the mining area and agree support with them. It had originally intended to provide the money to municipalities through the State Environmental Fund (SFŽP).

A day later, Environment Minister Igor Červený (Motorists) responded to the plan. He said he wanted to distribute the money to municipalities in line with the original agreement. "During August, I will initiate further negotiations with the aim of returning all parties to the agreed procedure under the established timetable, so that commitments to the affected municipalities are fulfilled and the prepared programme can be implemented through the Czech State Environmental Fund in accordance with the agreements jointly adopted in recent months," Červený wrote at the time.

The company did not specify the amount involved. According to previous information, it should amount to hundreds of millions of crowns. The fund declined to comment on either the statement or the company's announced steps. Environmental organisations have criticised the company's approach, saying it has confirmed their fears that Pavel Tykač, owner of the Sev.en energy group, wants to keep most of the money saved on reclamation.

Under the law, coal companies must set aside part of their funds in a special fund, which is subsequently used to reclaim mined-out land. In addition to conventional reclamation, the ČSA mine will also use so-called succession, meaning that restoration is left to nature. This should save Tykač's company roughly one billion crowns. According to Severní energetická, the government decided on the change in the ČSA mine reclamation concept on the basis of prepared documents, and the mining company is therefore merely implementing it.

The ČSA lignite site near Litvínov and the Vršany mine near Most are operated by mining companies from the Sev.en group. Mining at the ČSA mine ended two years ago. Mining is still under way at Vršany, where it is expected to end around 2030, and succession reclamation is planned for part of the site.