We are on patrol with the police in the Polish town of Walbrzych. There were at most five large coal mines here. The last one was closed in 1999, but the city is literally built on top of a huge coal seam. Since then, the beautiful forest area has become a national park, and it is precisely here that the coal lies so close to the surface that you can use a spade and pick to get hold of it. Now the police must frequently patrol the muddy forest roads in search of illegal coal mining, police officer Tomasz Sakowski told news. – We see an increasing trend. As the price of coal rises, more and more people are willing to buy coal on the black market. It is simply cheaper, he says. Fear of death We come to an opening in the forest where several large holes have been dug. The deepest is about four meters deep. People can be killed if the walls collapse. Nevertheless, there are many people who take the chance to dig coal with a pick and shovel, says Sakowski. Photo: Radoslaw Dimitrow / news Sakowski says that these holes are a danger to both those who collect coal and people who are out walking. – Hikers can fall down and the walls can collapse at any time. There have been fatalities in connection with illegal coal mining, says the policeman. Grave coal with car and trailers People come with cars and trailers and start digging, says Sakowski. In one hour, a person can earn NOK 2,000. A typical worker’s salary in Poland is around NOK 10,000. On the ground you can see that a fire has been lit and empty beer cans are strewn about. It is clear that here there have been both parties and barbecues while this unorthodox coal digging has been going on. The coal is sold on the black market, often with the help of social media or through friends and relatives, according to the police. Sky-high coal prices Nearby, we visit a company that sells coal legally. Coal prices are almost fivefold. We meet the distraught customer Robert, who tells us that he has to tighten his belt. There will be fewer cinema trips and restaurant visits, he explains. – But at least I can afford to buy what I need for the winter. There are many pensioners who are in a completely tragic situation, it is a disaster for them, says Robert. Such piles of coke from abroad are becoming more and more common in Poland. Photo: Roger Sevrin Bruland / news About forty percent of Polish households use coal for heating in winter. And now comes the cold season. Coal shortage in Poland Poland, like the rest of the EU, has made an effort for the green shift. Many coal mines have been closed and turned into museums and national parks. But with the sanctions against Russia, there has been a coal shortage in Poland. There is an end to importing cheap coal from the big country in the east. Before the war in Ukraine, the Poles imported ten million tonnes of coal from Russia. Coal from Colombia is advertised online. Photo: news Mykje kol also agrees to generate electricity because it is no longer importing gas from Russia. The consequence of this is that the Polish coal dealer news visited has started importing from Australia and Colombia. And this in a part of Poland where people live on top of large coal reserves.
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The police in Poland are hunting people who engage in illegal coal mining – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
