Protests against lifting of coal mining limits in the north

Protests against the lifting of brown coal mining limits in North Bohemia are scheduled to take place at two dozen locations around the country on Thursday. Coal mining limits in north Bohemia were introduced in 1991 as a guarantee for municipalities situated on coal deposits that they would not be pulled down to enable further mining. The question is now being revised by the government in view of its long-term energy starategy and the Czech Industry and Trade Ministry has commissioned an independent study to find out if the lifting of coal mining limits would pay off. The study should be ready by the end of August.