Analysis of Criteria for Classifying Selected Gypsum Deposits in Poland as Strategic Deposits

With the entry into force of the Act of 16 June 2023 amending the Geological and Mining Act and certain other acts, a new solution was introduced to the issues related to the protection of mineral deposits, namely the possibility of granting the status of a strategic deposit to deposits or parts thereof. A strategic deposit is a mineral deposit which, due to its significance for the economy or security of the country, is subject to special legal protection. It should therefore be recognised that deposits with such status will be considered the most important and valuable for the needs of the Polish economy. For a mineral deposit to be considered a 'strategic deposit', the legislator has specified that it meets two basic criteria. The first refers to the state of land use, which must allow access to the deposit. On the other hand, the second criterion is alternative, so the deposit must be of fundamental importance for the national economy or raw material interest, have an above-average volume of resources, or be characterised by unique parameters. Given the above, in the author's opinion, the selected gypsum deposits, i.e. Borków-Chwałowice, Leszcze, Uników-Galów and Winiary may meet the criteria for being recognised as strategic deposits, which entitles the minister responsible for the environment to initiate the procedure specified in Article 94 of the Geological and Mining Act.