Liberec Region in Czechia to monitor movement in buildings caused by mining at Turów

The Liberec Region will monitor movement in buildings caused by mining at the Turów brown coal mine in Poland, near the Czech border. It is now seeking a supplier for remote monitoring, which is expected to last at least ten years. The contract is estimated to be worth CZK 6.61 million excluding VAT. The measuring instruments and other equipment, including remote monitoring, will be funded by the Turów Fund, regional spokesperson Filip Trdla told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) today in response to a query. The deadline for bids is 9 September.

The project is intended to show how mining affects the structural stability of buildings. For now, it plans to monitor movement in 18 privately owned and municipal buildings. However, the contract allows for monitoring to be extended to another ten buildings in the future. „We always install two inclinometers, ideally in opposite corners, so we can see whether a building is tilting in any way. At the same time, the Czech Geological Society and DIAMO are carrying out measurements, and we can link those data with the readings from the inclinometers,“ said Václav Židek (Pirates), the regional councillor for the environment. Before the equipment is installed, the region will have the current condition of the buildings documented.

According to Židek, residents of border communities showed little interest in having a measuring instrument installed. „We were surprised. As a region, we sent letters directly to residents in the area,“ the councillor added. Measurements will be taken, among other places, at the cultural centre in Heřmanice, the fire station in Hrádek nad Nisou, the Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Uhelná, and Sluníčko nursery school in Václavice. The contract provides for measurements over ten years, with the possibility of extending them until mining at the Turów mine ends.

The Turów mine near the Czech-Polish border supplies coal mainly to the neighbouring power plant. PGE, which owns both the mine and the power plant, plans to continue mining there until 2044. The mine is set to gradually expand to 30 square kilometres along the road from Zittau to Bogatynia. Residents on the Czech side of the border are concerned about the loss of groundwater, increased dust, noise and land subsidence. Poland has already built an underground barrier intended to prevent water from flowing away, while an earth embankment will protect people on the Czech side from dust and noise from the mine.

The Liberec Region will fund the monitoring from the Turów Fund, established under a Czech-Polish agreement to address the impacts of mining. As compensation for the damage, Poland and PGE, which owns the mine and neighbouring power plant, paid the Czech Republic 45 million euros (approximately CZK 1.134 billion) two years ago. Of that amount, 35 million euros (CZK 882 million) went into the Turów Fund’s transparent account, which is administered by the Liberec Region. The region has already used it to support several projects intended to secure drinking water for residents near the border. The account currently holds just under CZK 881 million, including interest.