Correlation of Ambient Air Quality with the Sudden Reduction in Mining Activity in a Complex of Lignite Mines

Under the pressure of competition, primarily caused by the high price of carbon dioxide emission allowances, lignite production in Western Macedonia Lignite Centre dramatically reduced in the last decade. This development affects the ambient air quality of the greater lignite mine area, as evidenced by the reducing particulate matter concentrations and the number of exceedances of daily average concentrations per year. Moreover, differences in air quality measurements of monitoring stations, with regard to their distance from mining activities, now tend to be minimized. Based on these facts, it can be predicted that, after the phase-out of electricity generation activities, the ambient air quality will reach the levels that are typical for rural areas of Northern Greece well before the end of the mines’ land reclamation programs.