Impacts of mine workings

Task of the State Geological Survey (SGS), carried out as authorized by the Ministry of the Environment (MoE):

Management of the Impacts of Mine Workings Database ve smyslu by virtue of Act No. 44/1988., on the protection and use of mineral resources (Mining Act), and MoE Decree No. 363/1992, on the survey and inventory of impacts of mine workings.

A mine working impact, as defined in the above-mentioned act, refers to abandoned underground mine workings, whose original operator or legal successor is unknown or does not exist. According to an amendment in 2002, it also refers to abandoned open pits, whose original operator or legal successor is unknown or does not exist. The duty to report impacts applies to everyone, as stipulated in the act ( "Any person who detects an old mine working or its surface impact must report this immediately to the MoE of the Czech Republic."). As stated in the above-mentioned decree, "a report of an old mine working or its surface impact must include the location and time of its detection, and the state and extent of the surface damage, e.g. the extent of a subsidence".

All reports received are added to an inventory of mine working impacts. Individual reports may include several mine workings. The inventory contains files with data sheets, map sections showing the location of mine workings, assessment of the Czech Geological Survey (CGS) prepared for the MoE, all correspondence and other related documents. The inventory also contains a “documentation section“, which includes safeguarding plans, final technical reports and other supplementary reports and assessments. The documents are filed under separate registration codes in the Geofond Archive. The reported sites are classified into specific categories after being examined by the CGS.

The following categories apply:

• impacts of mine workings (SDD) as defined by the Mining Act,
• abandoned exploratory mine workings (OPDD), funded by the state for geological exploration purposes and not developed for mining thereafter,
• abandoned mine workings (ODD), workings no longer in operation, which have an owner or legal successor,
• other sites mainly underground openings made for purposes other than mining and mineral exploration.

In cases where a mine working impact poses a threat to public interest protected by law, the state assumes the responsibility for the necessary remediation via the MoE.

Data from the inventory of mine working impacts are simultaneously entered into the Impacts of Mine Workings Database, which is part of the CGS Information System. Assessments of reported mine working impacts are mainly based on an extensive collection of reports and maps stored in the Geofond Archive in Prague and at the office in Kutná Hora, and on information from the Mining Maps, Abandoned Mine Lands and Underground Mines Databases.

As of 1 January 2015, the Impacts of Mine Workings DB contains 2 741 sites from 2 715 reports. In addition, 9 multiple-event reports have been filed, which point out the existence of over 2 800 other sites.

Information on the location and state of mine working impacts is mainly used in preparing expert assessments regarding land-use planning. Individual mine workings and their surface impacts are depicted on maps of abandoned mine lands, které jsou pravidelně poskytovány orgánům státní správy, samosprávy a územního plánování. which are provided on a regular basis to state, local and land-use planning authorities. The CGS web applications provide basic information on these mining impacts as well.