Mine Closure and its Impact on the Community : Five Years After Mine Closure in Romania, Russia and Ukraine

Against the backdrop of economic
transition, several countries in Eastern Europe have
undertaken far-reaching programs to restructure their coal
sectors, which in the 1990s were in a state of deep crisis.
One aspect of restructuring has been the closure of
loss-making mines, which are often located in communities
where the coal industry is the dominant employer, and the
significant downsizing of the workforce. Mitigation efforts
that are implemented at the time of mine closure (such as
severance payments) are usually intended only for the
laid-off workers. The authors examine the impact of mine
closure on the entire community five years after mine
closure in Romania, Russia, and Ukraine. Using quantitative
and qualitative research methods and based on interviews
with national, regional, and local experts, and members of
the affected population, the authors describe the effect of
mine closure and evaluate the various mitigation efforts
that have been used by governments in such cases. They
conclude with policy recommendations of broad relevance to
programs of industrial restructuring in communities
dominated by a single industry.