Surface mining of coal has a negative impact on the environment that needs to be prevented, reduced, controlled, monitored by applying the management of technological processes of technical and biological recultivation after the end of exploitation works. The paper deals with the problem of multi-criteria decision-making in the process of selection of indicators that have an impact on the choice of purpose of recultivated terrain after the end of coal mining. The considered reclamation solutions represent possible alternatives. Degraded areas need to be returned to their original purpose, they should be in the function of environmental protection of the natural environment and settlements near this location. In addition, various criteria and sub-criteria that affect the choice of the most favourable solution were defined and analyzed. The final decision on land use after exploitation was made based on mathematical calculations using the multi-criteria VIKOR method.

Mining and its related activities have always resulted in changes in the environment and these changes can vary from one area to another. As a result of mining, several types of changes can be distinguished: destruction of land and existing vegetation, changes in terrain topography, modification in air quality, changes in surface and groundwater quality, as well as change geotechnical conditions of the rock. Environmental impact of mining has been a public concern. There is widespread global interest in mining and its sustainability, and it is focused on the need to shift mining industry to a more sustainable framework. This article describes the possibilities of how to reduce the environmental impact of limestone excavation. Successful closure must consider medium to long term post mining land use and land capability, as well as minimizing environmental impact.

During the exploitation of coal, both surface and underground exploitation systems damage larger or smaller areas of land. Experiences show that land damage is significantly greater with the surface exploitation system, where the content of the space is degraded not only in the contour of the mine and the surrounding area, but changes are made in the natural flows and conditions as well. The article presents the results of a study of the regulatory framework the issues of reclamation in some world countries also in Serbia. Practical experience of reclamation has shown that utilisation and devastation by mining activities present not only danger to affected areas but also an opportunity to correct negative developments and to plan in accordance with the expectations of the population and respected to laws.

Mine site reclamation is a relevant step in maintaining ecological balance after mining activities. Although mining activities provide many economic benefits, they often have a negative impact on the environment. These environmental problems require effective and sustainable solutions. To minimize the effects of mining, environmental management is obligated to stabilize the land, so it is productive after mine closure and leads to the best possible purpose. Regulatory authority sets out the criteria for reclamation to be accomplished by the mine reclamation program such as compliance, land re-contouring, revegetation, and final completion.

Underground mine ventilation serves both as a critical safety system and as one of the major consumers of electrical energy in underground mining operations. This paper presents a critical review of the energy performance of ventilation management strategies, focusing on ventilation network optimization, fan speed control, Ventilation-on-Demand (VoD), model-based control, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications, and sensor-based monitoring. The review is organized according to the level of intervention and validation, encompassing industrial measurements, pilot-scale and laboratory studies, as well as numerical simulations. The findings indicate that direct energy savings are most commonly achieved through the reduction of network resistance and pressure losses, fan speed adjustment, and the spatial and temporal alignment of airflow distribution with actual operational requirements. CFD analyses and monitoring systems do not constitute energy-saving measures by themselves; rather, they provide the basis for defining safe operating limits and enabling closed-loop control strategies. Reported energy savings are not directly comparable due to differences in baseline operating conditions, system boundaries, and validation methodologies. Reliable implementation requires the maintenance of minimum safety airflow rates, the provision of backup safety measures, and automatic transition to predefined safe operating modes in the event of sensor, communication, or actuator failures.

When solving real problems, and to make a quality decision, it is necessary to consider a great number of often complex parameters. For these reasons, the development of decision-making process modeling has seen significant growth in recent years, and multi-criteria optimization models have stood out among them as useful for solving complex and conflicting phenomena. Multi-criteria optimization models make it easier for decision-makers to find the optimal solution in situations where there are many different criteria, which can often conflict with each other. The choice of the appropriate method of exploitation of mineral deposits follows the consideration of the problem and the approach to further development, which is primarily the determination of the criteria that influence the choice of the optimal alternative.