ABSTRACT
The actual ecological situation in the mining regions of Ukraine shows that there are a growing environmental hazards and extreme anthropogenic overload. The coal industry in Ukraine belongs to the major environmental polluters. At the same time a significant impact on the environment is made not only directly in the process of coal mining, but for many years after its completion. One of the significant sources of contamination of the environment is the waste dumps occupying large areas of fertile lands. About 40 million m3 of dump rocks are stored in dumps every year. The majority of coal mining wastes potentially has toxic and mutagenic properties as contains a significant amount of heavy metals that are practically not biodegradable in the environment, and is therefore especially dangerous for the living organisms (Gorova 2013).
