Debating The Safety And Future Of Poland's Mines.

GLOBALPOST/
A methane explosion in a Polish coal mine in September killed 17 miners and burned 35. The accident on Sept. 18 was at the Wujek Slask mine in the western region of Silesia.
Moat of the mining sector in Poland is in government hands, and any plans to sell them off raises opposition in Poland. The mines turned a profit of $110 million last year.But being state-held, the mines are not run efficiently, without funds to modernize equipment and technology. In the first half of this year, Poland’s coal mining sector lost 153 million zlotys ($54 million), as demand for coal slumped due to the global economic crisis.
Poland generates about 90 percent of its electricity from coal, one of the highest ratios in the world, making it a target of environmentalists.And, it imports almost all of its oil and two-thirds of its natural gas from Russia.