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Poland Faces $586,000 Daily Fine for Ignoring Coal Mine Ban
Poland insisted it won’t stop extracting coal at the Turow lignite mine near the Czech border even after hearing it faces a daily 500,000 euro ($586,000) fine for ignoring a European Union court order to shut down operations. The EU Court of Justice on Monday said Poland had to pay the European Commission after failing to comply with a May 21 demand to immediately halt the mining, which has stoked a diplomatic row over environmental concerns. Poland can’t afford to switch off the mine and a nearby power plant as it would pose a risk to the country’s energy security, a government spokesman said in a statement. ... (full story)