Problem of unlicensed aggregates exploitation in Poland

Despite the absolute prohibition against minerals exploitation without having a mining concession, which was valid until the end of 2011, research conducted by the Polish Geological Institute–National Researching Institute has showed that minerals exploitation without having a mining concession has been prevalent all over the country, mainly that concerning sand and gravel aggregates. Unlicensed exploitation has a negative influence on the natural environment, lower landscape values as well as the State Treasury’s revenues. Actions taken by the geological administration bodies in order to punish a perpetrator have been ineffective. Administrative decisions that charged higher exploitation fees have been issued only in very few cases. But great majority of cases are discontinued after lengthy administrative proceedings. Attempts at liberalization the Geological and Mining Law dated 9 June 2011 (Journal of Laws No. 163, item 981), which since the beginning of 2012 has allowed owners of an area exploit sand and gravel aggregates for their own needs in amounts not greater than 10 m3 per year, do not contribute to eliminating this practice. A spatial database collecting information about points of unconcessioned minerals exploitation all over Poland has been operated since 2008, within the Geoenvironmental Map of Poland II – 1:50,000 scale managed by PIG-PIB. Only large mines and quarries have been taken into account (an area of more than 1 are). All points are verified during a site inspection, a full description and photographic documentation are made for every single working. There are over 2600 points of unconcessioned exploitation located in southern and south-western Poland currently included in the database. By the end of 2015, the registration of points in northern and north-eastern Poland will have been completed. The database with all the collected points is available at: emgsp.pgi.gov.pl.