The results of the analysis of the environmental situation in coal-mining regions based on the assessment of the environmental capacity of the natural environment and its exhaustiveness are presented. The limiting level of coal mining within a typical administrative district in terms of area and population, providing environmental stability under the current normative indicators and applied methods and means of engineering environmental protection, is determined. A set of tasks, the solution of which at the level of the federal center by executive and legislative authorities of a particular sub-unit of the federation, or directly by the economic entities themselves will lead to a reduction in the negative impact of the coal mining industry on the environment and the health of the population of the region, is proposed.
The results of the analysis of the character of the growth with depth of methane content in beds and host rocks of coal deposits in the Pechora basin and the factors affecting it are presented. On the basis of field measurements of methane emission dynamics in the mine workings of a number of mines of the Vorkuta coal field and their statistical processing the effect of the increase in the relative methane emission by increasing the size of the mined-out space - the number of the waste pillars and the distance of the working face from the cut mine working is shown. The efficiency of the degassing schemes used to reduce gas release from the surrounding rock masses under development is analyzed. Geomechanical and gasdynamic models of a complexly structured undermined rock mass are proposed, allowing to justifiably calculate parameters of permeability distribution over its volume, air leakage fluxes from the cleaning face and gas-air mixture in the mined-out spaces.
The results of field, laboratory and analytical studies of the dynamics of air, methane and dust leakage in the mined-out space of mining areas of coal mines are outlined. Regularities of formation of explosive zones in mine workings and adjoining mined-out space are established.
Materials of analytical, laboratory and mine studies of drying and moistening processes of coal dust aerogels are analyzed, and the influence of humidity on their explosiveness is studied. The methodology of selecting parameters of steam generation means for condensation moistening of coal dust deposits in mine workings, which provides protection from explosions and detonation, is outlined.
