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We have been part of Ostrava for more than 100 years
The premises of OKK Koksovny a.s. (”OKK”) have been part of the Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz boroughs since 1908. The proximity to the city center and its inhabitants means that neighbors place high demands on the coke plant. That is why OKK pays special attention to the contact with its surroundings and to minimizing the negative impact on the quality of life in Ostrava.
A good relationship with the neighbors is extremely important for an industrial plant near a residential area. The most important thing is an open dialogue, which OKK leads through voluntary agreements with the municipality of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region. In addition to the legal obligations, OKK promises to invest in specific projects and technology maintenance to further reduce its environmental impact, as well as in detailed monitoring of air quality in the vicinity and various projects for the restoration and maintenance of urban vegetation. An important part of the voluntary agreements is the financial support of school trips for children from Ostrava elementary schools as well as various cultural, educational, and sporting events. Thanks to voluntary agreements and OKK support, green spaces in the center of Ostrava and the Přívoz borough are gradually being recultivated. Traditionally, the company supports an educational event for children from elementary and high schools called “Chemistry and Other Natural Sciences at Silesian Ostrava Castle”, which is attended by more than two thousand children every year. We also sponsor a hockey team, HC Vítkovice Rider, as well as the music festival of contemporary classical music called Ostrava Days. During the winter, when smog is frequent in the region, OKK helps children to stay out of Ostrava, in the countryside in the Beskydy and Jeseníky Mountains. Over the past ten years, OKK has invested more than CZK 3.3 billion in modernization and environmental measures. It has one of the most modern coke ovens in Europe, which not only manages to meet the environmental limits but, in many cases, to stay significantly below the limit. In recent years, the company has automated the cleaning of furnace reinforcements, modernized a coal dedusting system and the coke sorting plants, hermetically sealed chemical plants and desulfurized them. Voluntary agreements determine a plan of gradual environmental measures and allow partners to check the implementation of planned activities. A key point of the voluntary agreement with the municipality of Ostrava is also monitoring pollutants together in the vicinity of the OKK production plant. In the past year, very detailed measurements have been carried out inside the premises and in several places in its immediate vicinity. Analysis of the measured data shows that the coking plant does not rank among major air polluters. Another obligation arising from the voluntary agreement is cleaning of the OKK plant and its surroundings in the Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz districts. Regular cleaning of streets and public spaces significantly reduces airborne dust levels. OKK Koksovny is a stable employer in the region and by constructively cooperating with the city and the region, it wants to be a responsible neighbor, too.
