Polish, Czech leaders seek to resolve spat over coal mine

Intensive talks are being held between the leaders of Poland and the neighboring Czech Republic to solve a years-long spat over a Polish coal mine that has flared up again recently

WARSAW, Poland -- Intensive talks were being held Tuesday between leaders of Poland and neighboring Czech Republic in an attempt to solve a years-long spat over a Polish coal mine that has flared up recently. The Czech government says the brown coal mine in Turow, a Polish town near the Czech and German borders, is draining groundwater from Czech communities and causing other environmental harm to Czech citizens. It took the case to the top European Union court, which last week ordered Poland to halt coal extraction at the site. But Poland has so far defied the court's order, saying it cannot close the mine because doing so would lead to power cuts for millions of Poles and eliminate thousands of jobs. The mine directly fuels a power plant that produces up to 7% of Poland's energy. The spat underlines coal's potential as an irritant in relations among EU nations as the bloc has set an ambitious goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Poland has been making some progress toward developing green energy, but the process has been slow and hampered by the country's historic dependence on coal to heat homes and power its factories.