Effect of Resource Economy on the Standard of Living in the Kemerovo Region

This review article introduces a comparative analysis of the standard of living in the Kemerovo region aka Kuzbass in 2005–2019. The research objective was to identify the reasons behind the decline in the living standards and the growing negative migration. Considering that Kuzbass is a coal region, the analysis was performed in the context of resource economy. It featured Russian and foreign studies on the theory of living standards and welfare, resource economy, and fair economy. The authors defined the concept of the standard of living as elements of human existence that depend on the socio-economic development of society and one's personal income. The standard of living in the Kemerovo region, which has enormous natural resources, is deteriorating from year to year, despite its increasing coal production and GRP. Most indicators appeared to be lower than Russia's average; in fact, the gap may reach 50–60 %. Poor living standards are an urgent problem for many resource regions. Regional strategies and programs seem unable to improve the situation, which requires state decisions to change the mechanisms of distribution of the gross regional product in favor of resource regions. By changing tax and budget legislation, the state should redirect financial flows from big resource companies to local problem areas.

CLASSSFICATION OF COAL RESERVES AT THE TYAGLIV AND LYUBELYA FIELDS OF THE SOUTH-WESTERN COAL-BEARING REGION OF THE LVIV-VOLYN BASIN BASED ON THE MAIN NATURAL INDICATORS

A geological-statistic analysis of commercial resources and the predictive coal-bearing potential of the fields of the South-Western coal region, the principal promising part of the Lviv-Volyn Coal Basin, has been carried out. Based on the detailed analysis and systematization of data from prospecting and exploratory-assessment works regarding the depth of occurrence and the thickness of coal seams, ash content, sulphur content and grade composition of coal, resources of the Tyagliv and Lyubelya fields has been re-evaluated. These characteristics have been studied by discrete intervals. Re-evaluation of resources and their classification were carried out for every coal seam, the mine field, the field, and the coal-bearing region on the whole. In total, the analysis was performed for 24 coal seams. By the depth of occurrence of coal seams the majority of coal reserves at the Tyagliv and Lyubelya fields belong to the group of 600-900 m. The majority of predictive resources of coal within the Lyubelya field (6.6%) falls to the group of 900-1200 m. According to the thickness of coal seams, the most of the balance and overbalance reserves at the Tyagliv field is attributed to the groups of 0.61-0.80; 0.81-1.00 m, and at the Lyubelya field to the groups of 0.81-1.00; 1.01-1.20; 1,21-1.50 and over 1.5 m. Within the Lyubelya field, the predictive resources of coal are contained in the group of 0.81-1.00 m. According to the value of ash content, 50 % of balance and overbalance reserves of coal at the Tyagliv field are related to the groups of the medium-ash and ash coal. At the Lyubelya field, the most of coal reserves (66.4%) also corresponds to the group of medium-ash coal, and predictive resources — to the groups of medium-ash (43.1%) and ash (53.1%) coal. According to the content of the mass fraction of sulphur, at the Tyagliv field the balance and overbalance reserves of high-sulphur coal prevail, with the amount of sulphur, low-sulphur and medium-sulphur coal being at the equal ratios. At the Lyubelya field, high-sulphur and low-sulphur coal prevail almost at the equal ratios. Regarding predictive resources, the group of high-sulphur coal prevails within the field. The coal seams within the Tyagliv and Lyubelya fields differ from analogous ones in the industrial part of the basin by the higher thickness and the area of distribution. The depth of occurrence of the seams increases for 15-300 m. Coal in the fields of the South-Western coal region has higher quality and the least ash content. According to brand composition of coal, the technologic groups of gas coal, gas-fat coal and fat coal (according to the Ukrainian classification) prevail at the Tyagliv field. It is proved that gas coal is suitable for coking. At the Lyubelya field, fat, coke-fat and coke coal prevail. Сoke coal comprises almost a half of the reserves. In the region, reserves and resources of coal are estimated to be over two billion tons, which exceeds in two times the residual reserves of the commercial part of the basin. The analysis of the raw material base of the Tyagliv and Lyubelya fields, estimation of reserves and evaluation of coal resources have a great importance for developing and working-out of the feasibility study for their commercial development.

Assessment of the environmental factor impact on health and economy of the coal region population

The anthropogenic impact of human activity has a significant influence not only on the incidence rate of the coal region, but also causes economic losses in the gross regional product. An important aspect of environmental diseases is the financial and economic losses that fall both on the state and the region, and directly on the citizens themselves. In the article, the assessment of the environmental factor impact on the coal region population health and economy is carried out by calculating the costs of treating diseases caused by unfavorable environmental conditions and determining the GRP losses associated with diseases and low life expectancy. At the same time, improving the quality of life of the population presupposes the conservation of a healthy human habitat, the preservation of human as a resource for the development of the region. In this regard, it is proposed to reduce the environmental load by implementing a concept aimed at improving regional environmental security by increasing investments in fixed assets related to environmental protection and rational use of natural resources; diversification of production by the transition mainly to manufacturing industries; increasing the environmental liability of managers of business entities, including through the action of compensatory mechanisms.

Environmental aspects of the interaction of mining companies with the local community

The paper presents the results of a study of the practice of regulating the environmental aspects of the activities of coal mining companies in the world and in Russia, as well as in the largest coal region - the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass. The documents of coal mining enterprises were studied, the main key requirements of the local community for mining companies were formulated, a comparison was made of the leading foreign and Russian coal companies in the field of interaction with the local community.

Conditions for a Successful Farewell

In 2018, when the last German hard coal mines were closed down, the conditions were relatively favourable, especially in the coal region of Ibbenbüren in Northern Westphalia. This district is marked by small towns and medium-sized enterprises with a relatively low unemployment rate. On the one hand, the shutdown without greater lay-offs was enabled by the co-working of the trade union and the mining company. This, on the other hand, depended to a large extent on external influences, not least on state subsidies and the preceding integration of the German hard coal industry into a rescue company. Furthermore, the relatively smooth transition would not have been possible without the willingness of many miners of covering far distances to other locations. This article is based on narrative interviews conducted before the shutdown of 2018 with miners and other persons involved, focusing on their memories of mining in Ibbenbüren.