Germany to turncoal mines into resorts
Meuro, the brown-black mine that once dominated the landscape, providing jobs to thousands of workers who toiled in clouds of lignite coal dust, has vanished. It’s part of a massive environmental clean-up in Lusatia, a region that provided much of the coal that heated German homes and powered the country's industrial rise.Unlike its darker variety, lignite seams — also known as brown coal — often lie close to the surface, meaning it is easiest to just remove layer upon layer from above rather than dig underground shafts. While countries such as the United States also require companies to restore mines and Spain's biggest lake is currently being created in a former lignite pit, LMBV's effort to develop an entire new lake district clean enough for tourism is one of the most ambitious projects yet — attracting attention from as far afield as the U.S., China and South Africa. The region has currently become a giant laboratory for geologists, economists and biologists.
Tags : INTERNATIONAL