Consultation of Transitional Design of the Antismog Resolution for Krakow

The Management Board of the Malopolska Region approved the transitional anti-smog resolution for Krakow. The document envisages the ban on the use of low-quality coal for heating houses and flats from 1 July 2017. These regulations apply to the area of the municipality of Krakow and will remain in force until the full ban on coal burning until the end of August 2019.

The draft resolution prohibits the use of low-quality fuels that release the most toxic compounds and particulate matter into the atmosphere. This means that one will not be able to use the following to heat houses:

1. fuels in which the mass fraction of hard coal or lignite of particle size 0-5 mm is greater than 5%,
2. fuels containing hard coal or lignite that meet at least one of the following parameters in the operating condition:
   • calorific value below 26 MJ / kg,
   • ash content greater than 10%,
   • sulfur content greater than 0.8%;
3. fuels containing biomass with moisture content in the operating condition greater than 20%.

The regulations will remain in force until the entry into force of the antismog resolution for Krakow from 2016 which introduced a total ban on burning coal and wood in ovens, boilers and fireplaces from September 1, 2019.

Currently, the new regulations are undergoing the public consultation – their final shape will also be influenced by residents, NGOs and city authorities. Consultations will last until the end of March, and then, if everything is according to the plan, it will be possible for the Sejmik of the Region to vote in late April.

Project of the transitional anti-smog resolution for Krakow

The comparative measurement of PM10 sensors has been officially started. The organizer of the action is the Malopolska Region, in cooperation with the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Krakow, the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, the Rabka-Zdrój Municipality and the Krakow Smog Alert Association. The purpose of the action is to verify and evaluate the reliability of the widely available measurement devices by comparing the results obtained with the results obtained using the reference measurement method of the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Inspection. The measurements have been being carried out from 18 February at the measurement station in Rabka-Zdrój and will last until June 15th. The comparative action will end with a study report that will be published and widely accessible to municipalities and residents. The measurements take place within the integrated LIFE Malopolska project, supported by the LIFE program of the European Union.

Invitations to participate in the measurements were addressed to all of the leading companies offering PM10 meters. The challenge of verifying their equipment was taken by 5 of them – Envimet Services, Solutions for Technology, Elkomp Jacek Kediołek, TETABIT and Warsaw University of Technology. The report summarizing the measurement results will be prepared by scientists from the AGH University of Science and Technology together with the experts of the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection.

Rules of the Comparative Measurements

On February 16, 2017, a training was held on the preparation of applications for grants for the replacement of boilers using solid fuels from the funds of the PONE program of the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow. The training was conducted by Robert Bażela – Manager for Grants at the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow. Approximately 120 people from municipalities in the Malopolska Region took part in it. The participants had a chance to get acquainted with how municipalities can take advantage of co-financing from the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management funds in Krakow within the “Low-stack Emission Reduction Program in the Malopolska Region”.

Co-financing of tasks from the WFOŚiGW 2017 – PONE

On February 15, 2017, the first meeting of the Program Council of the Integrated LIFE project “Implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region – Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere” was held in the Marshal’s Office. The tasks of the Council include acting as a program advisor, supporting the activities accompanying the project and proposing possible changes and modifications to the solutions that comprise the system of Ecomanagers. The following have been appointed to be members of the council:

• Wojciech Kozak – Deputy Marshal of the Malopolska Region as the President of the Council,
• Adam Domagała – Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection and Public Security of the Sejmik of the Malopolska Region as I Vice-President of the Council,
• Karolina Laszczak – Director of the Environment Department of the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region as the II Vice-President of the Council,
• Małgorzata Mrugała – President of the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow,
• Paweł Ciećko – Malopolska Provincial Inspector for Environmental Protection,
• Łukasz Szewczyk – Deputy Director of the Municipal Economy Department of the City of Krakow,
• Roman Ciepiela – Mayor of the City of Tarnów,
• Mateusz Klinowski – Mayor of Wadowice,
• Paweł Knafel – Mayor of the Municipality of Słomniki,
• Jakub Jamruz – Head of the Łapsze Niżne Municipality,
• Zbigniew Szpak – President of the Management Board of KAPE SA,
• Andrzej Guła – President of the Management Board of Krakow Smog Alert Association,
• Professor Piotr Kleczkowski, Eng., PhD – AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, expert in the scientific community,
• PhD Associate MD Ewa Konduracka, professor at the Jagiellonian University – medical community expert

The meeting was conducted by Wojciech Kozak, the Deputy Marshal of the Malopolska Region. The achievements of the LIFE project in the Malopolska Region, the role of the Ecomanagers, the Competence Center, the regional and local information and education activities in the field of air quality were discussed. The issues of air quality monitoring in the region, the air quality information system and the proposed purchase of air purifiers for kindergartens and crèches have been addressed. The project activities at the municipality level were presented by Aleksander Fraś-Zdeb – an Ecomanager in the municipality of Słomniki.

Implementation of the LIFE Malopolska project

Implementation of the LIFE Malopolska project in the municipality of Słomniki