Zakopane breathes a sigh of relief. Smog near Giewont is in retreat

The air quality in Zakopane has improved significantly in recent years, and the average annual concentration of PM10 suspended dust has dropped to half of the permissible norm. This is the result of the development of geothermal heating, expansion of the heating network and liquidation of old solid fuel furnaces – the city hall reported.

– In Zakopane, there is a very significant decrease in air pollution with PM10 dust. From 2023, the average annual value of PM10 will fluctuate at the level of 20 micrograms per cubic meter, and for comparison, in 2007 this value was 66 – told PAP Jan Schwenk, Head of the Department of Environmental Protection.

He added that the improvement in air quality is the result of a number of activities undertaken by the commune, including mainly the replacement of non-ecological heating sources and educational and control activities.

The city reports that in in 2015-24, over 800 non-ecological heating sources were eliminated under subsidy programsalthough the actual number of mentioned boilers is higher because it also includes modernizations carried out by residents without the support of the commune.

According to local government calculations, in the years 2018–2023, emissions were reduced by 21.5 thousand tons of CO284 tons of suspended PM10 dust and almost 34 tons of PM2.5 dust. The data include the effects of projects implemented under the Regional Operational Program, and the actual ecological effect is – as the office emphasizes – even greater.

The city's activities to improve air quality include, among others: implementation of the Air Protection Program in the Municipality of Zakopane – within the framework of European funds, the Clean Air priority program, a program for replacing heating sources with ecological ones financed from the Zakopane budget, a local shielding program and real estate tax exemption for people using ecological heating systems.

Air quality measurements in Zakopane are carried out by the Provincial Inspectorate of Environmental Protection at the station on Górna Równia Krupowa.

Air quality is of particular importance in Zakopane because the city is one of the most popular tourist centers in Poland. Air purity is the basis for collecting the so-called local or climatic fee. This year, the Supreme Administrative Court found that Zakopane had no right to collect a fee from a tourist complaining about the levy due to poor air quality. Despite the judgment, the local government maintains that the applicable resolution from 2013 requires charging such a fee. The regulations require that the town collecting the levy meets criteria regarding, among others: air quality, and this assessment covers almost the entire area of ​​Małopolska. Therefore, improving the air quality in Zakopane itself is an important argument in the dispute over the legality of the fee. (PAP)

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