The Law on Quality Control of Coal on Paper?

The Sejm passed a law on quality control of coal. This is an important step towards improving the quality of air in Poland. Unfortunately, the order of this bill provided by the Ministry of Energy goes in the opposite direction. Coal waste and sulphate carbon will remain on sale

The Act establishes a system for the effective control of the quality of coal available in the retail trade. Each batch of coal will need to have a quality certificate, and the trade inspection will check if the actual quality is not inferior to the parameters declared on the certificate. Penalties for nonconformity of the declaration and coal sold will reach 200,000

At the vote, deputies rejected the amendment forcing the Ministry of Energy to consult the Ministry of Energy. Environment on the quality standards of coal, which raises fears that the coal standards do not improve the quality of the air

ways to improve the quality of the coal. air – said Andrzej Guła, leader of the Polish anti-smog alarm. The ball is now on the side of the Minister of Energy, Krzysztof Tchórzewski, as he will decide the quality of coal for retail sales.

The latest proposal presented by the Ministry of Energy authorizes trade in coal waste (mullet and concentrated flakes), despite the fact that it is against the act (waste charcoal can be mixed with moths and will continue to be sold to households).

In addition, the Ministry of Energy proposes to sell coal whose parameters are very unfavorable, including coal containing up to 30% ash or moisture. She also wants to sell highly sulphated coal (sulfur content of about 2%, despite experts recommend a maximum of 0.8%)

The justification of the ME for the draft regulation clearly indicates that all the parameters of the regulation were selected the coal extracted by the Polish mines.

The rationale is as follows: "Taking into account the solid fuels sold by the major domestic producers as well as the quality requirements for solid fuels proposed in the regulation, it is estimated that about 100% of coking coal and 93.3% thermal coal. "

This means that with respect to previous work on the regulation, the needs resulting from the protection of the air have not been taken into account. consideration, but only the interests of the coal enterprises. In the current form, the standards will not result in the removal of the worst coal ranges from the market, and the regulations will have no impact on improving the quality of the coal. air. We hope that what has been presented by the Ministry of Energy will change radically and that the final form of the regulation will be beneficial for the air and health of Polish citizens, adds Guła.

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The worst fuel quality, such as coal sludge and flotation concentrates , containing less than 85%. They should disappear from retail – predicts a bill passed by Parliament last week on the system of monitoring and control of fuel quality

© 123RF / PICSEL

MEPs decided Thursday that 39, introduce three amendments. During the work on the act, the authors of this change, PiS deputies, explained that it would allow the operation of the Sieniawa lignite mine in Sieniawa Lubuska (municipality). Łagów), producing briquettes of lignite for the needs of individual recipients

"Without the introduction of a binding transitional provision until 2020, we would have led to the closure of this entity (. ..) For the Sieniawa mine, it will be a period of recycling there, the dismissals and the liquidation of this mine "- said the Deputy Minister of Energy Grzegorz Tobiszowski, admitting that through the modifications introduced to the project, lignite can function on the market of individual beneficiaries for another two years

carbonates, flocculants, mixtures contain less than 85 percent. Coal will be subject to a legal ban on sales to the municipal sector and the housing sector. The standards will be applied to solid fuels burned in households and in installations with a thermal power of less than 1 MW, ie in boiler houses near residential buildings, schools, hospitals

The new law also introduces certificates quality of fuels. Buyers must obtain reliable and complete information about what they buy. The new solutions will also eliminate the practice of pouring water on the charcoal – to increase its mass. Inspections in warehouses and border crossings will be carried out by the trade inspection or the tax office with random customs in the warehouses

The buyers themselves will not be controlled, and it is not necessary. There will be no control of the quality of the coal at the place of combustion. The costs of control will be borne by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection and the National Tax Authority. If the fuel does not meet the requirements, the inspection fee will be charged. The purpose of the ordinance is to specify the fuel test methods.

Thanks to new regulations, smog-forming coal waste will disappear from coal storage facilities. Entrepreneurs who do not adapt to this will face high fines and even jail time.

The Minister of Energy in a special regulation will specify the specific requirements for these fuels (including the different types of coal, most often imported) and the acceptable level of exemption from these requirements.

The amendment, however, contains a provision allowing for temporary suspension of quality standards in the event of a shortage of heat sources or possible disruptions in the energy production market resulting, for example, from heat. .

In mid-June of this year. The European Commission has notified the draft law on quality standards for solid fuels, which has given the green light to further work on the amendment to the Sejm.

In February of this year. The Luxembourg Court of Justice ruled that Poland had violated EU law by authorizing excessive multiannual overruns of PM10 particles in the air. Daily and annual air pollution standards were continuously exceeded in 2007-2015. The decision did not result in the imposition of a financial penalty. However, Poland should take steps as soon as possible to improve the air quality in the country – otherwise the EC could file a new complaint and demand financial penalties.

Due to smog and complications resulting from poor air quality. people a year. The largest emissions of pollutants, including PM2.5 particulate matter, PM10 and benzo (a) pyrene, are attributable to the municipal service sector and transportation.

PAP