The mining of lignite in an opencast causes the elimination of considerable agricultural and forest areas. That is why the PGE Capital Group pays close attention to activities aimed at reconstruction of the ecosystem in the areas where mining operations have been terminated. A perfect example of this type of activity is how the Bełchatów Lignite Mine rehabilitated its spoil heap into the Kamieńsk Mountain Sports and Recreation Centre.
Before the centre was built, the company carried out thorough and labour-intensive rehabilitation tasks including, among other things, earthworks related to landscape development, ground insulation and neutralization, the construction of drainage facilities, biological reconstruction activities, all for the purpose of creating a self-sufficient forest ecosystem. When the reforestation process was completed, the Mine transferred about 1.500 ha of woodland to its new administrator - the State Forests' Bełchatów Inspectorate. About 14 ha of land was excluded from the rehabilitation process; this area was turned into a ski route.
The centre's main attraction is a ski lift. In 2008 a sledging track and a climbing wall were opened to the public. At the foot of the mountain, the ski lift's bottom station was built together with hotel and catering facilities, as well as a sports equipment rental shop. The centre offers more than 40 kilometres of bicycle paths - there are special sections for MTB fans.
The centre has become a very attractive place of year-round active recreation - the number of people using its facilities rose from 738 in 2004 to over 179,000 in 2008 - and an additional source of revenue for the Mine. The Mine's employees can take advantage of tickets to the centre whose price is subsidized from the Plant's social fund.
The centre has improved Bełchatów tourist attractiveness and contributed to the creation of almost 60 jobs. The building of the mountain has also created favourable conditions for the establishment of a wind farm, which was opened in 2007. Plans for the future provide for the preparation of educational paths teaching students about the fauna and flora of the region, as well as its geological history.
