Trzebinia. Meeting of the crisis staff in connection with sinkholes. Scientist: evacuation needed

The statement of the scientist from Kraków concerned sinkholes that have recently appeared in Trzebinia. Prof. dr hab. Eng. Marek Cała, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resources Management of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, assessed that “forecasts are not optimistic” and the phenomenon will intensify as the groundwater level rises.

– These processes will certainly increase when more water appears in the ground. When it snows, when there are torrential rainfalls, one should expect – of course with some delay – intensification of these processes – said the scientist.

When asked about the actions that should be taken in the near future, prof. Cała pointed out that the most endangered areas should be fenced off on the basis of a preliminary inventory. In an interview with RMF FM, prof. All also indicated the need for temporary evacuation of residents. – There should be information: listen, you can expect a violent threat – it could be today, it could be the day after tomorrow. Therefore, it is better to temporarily move to a hotel. We will intensively explore this area, verify whether we are right – if not, you return, if we are right – we take violent action – said the scientist.

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On Wednesday, the voivode of Lesser Poland, Łukasz Kmita, called a meeting of the crisis staff. Its participants included representatives from Trzebinia City Hall, Mine Restructuring Company (SRK), fire brigade, police, construction supervision.

– So far, I have not had information about the threat that would result in evacuation, and we asked earlier whether it was necessary – noted the voivode of Lesser Poland. He appealed to the residents to agree to the drainage of the area.

– Today there are no such premises to evacuate residents. We have to wait for the results of the research – replied the president of the Company for the Restructuring of Mines, Janusz Smoliło, to the question of the mayor of Trzebinia, Janusz Okoczuk, about whether evacuation is necessary.

SRK, the legal successor of the “Siersza” hard coal mine, commissioned research into the post-mining area of ​​Trzebinia in September. The last tests were completed last week. In addition to basic research, additional research was carried out to verify the first autumn works.

– It is necessary to provide real, verified results – emphasized the co-leader of the study, Prof. Jan Macuda from the AGH University of Science and Technology informing that the research was prolonged due to, among others, because additional specialist equipment was not immediately available. The final elaboration of the results of the works is to be known in February.

– Based on the results, we will indicate areas potentially most at risk of sinkholes – said Prof. Jan Macuda adding that with the support of SRK, it would be possible to select several houses that could potentially be most at risk in a short time.

According to the professor, a thesis can be drawn that earth deformations occur in the area of ​​the old riverbed of Kozi Bród, where water rises and a complicated geological structure occurs. The Gaj estate, whose residents are worried, is rather safe.

According to the scientist, the solution to the situation could be pumping out the water and strengthening and refilling the ground, as well as strengthening the area around the buildings, which – if the results of the research show it – are potentially at risk. Speaking about backfilling the soil, injecting the material, the professor pointed out that it is worth using more expensive, but more effective methods and technologies.

The President of SRK announced that the Kozi Brod drainage project is being prepared, but – as he emphasized – the area runs through private plots and not all owners agree to enter there.

The mayor of Trzebinia appealed for the fastest possible designation of a particularly endangered area and marking it. As he stressed, he is waiting with the inhabitants for the results of research prepared by scientists. Residents – as announced by the mayor – in the event of the need to evacuate, they will seek compensation, compensation and will have legal support from the city office.

After selecting the most endangered areas, construction supervision, pursuant to art. 66 of the Construction Law, could exclude buildings from use due to their technical condition until the irregularities are removed. Such a decision would be tantamount to the evacuation of residents.

In recent years, the ground has collapsed in Trzebinia 25 times, of which four holes appeared in the built-up area, in the past protected against such an eventuality.

The sinkholes arising in the commune are post-mining damage caused by the former “Siersza” hard coal mine operating in this town since the mid-nineteenth century. In the years 1999-2001 the mine closed down. At the beginning, the exploitation was shallow, at a depth of 20-25 meters. Then the underground passages went lower and lower. The liquidators assumed that the voids left after exploitation would be filled with water. Over time, the water began to come closer and closer to the surface of the earth.