Decommissioning Projects - Asia
(last updated 13 Nov 2008)
(see also Decommissioning Data)
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Illicit uranium mining continues in closed 712 Uranium Mine
In Hunan province, peasants have made a cottage industry out of mining uranium ore.
This black-market uranium - probably uraninite, containing up to a third of uranium oxide - has been retrieved from one of 18 abandoned mine shafts in the mountains that tower above the village. A subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation had blocked the mine entrances with concrete and dirt when it left about 10 years ago, but local workers immediately blew them open again.
Since then, peasants have been carting uranium ore back to the village in bamboo baskets strapped to the village donkey. They wash it in the river, like the gold panners of old, and sell it by the truckload to anyone who pays.
(Sydney Morning Herald, April 5, 2008)
Activist disappeared after reporting contamination from uranium mine / Call for action
"Human Rights in China (HRIC) 
has learned that a Gansu uranium mine employee has been missing for 110 days after being detained by public security police following his attempts to petition officials over severe radiation poisoning affecting local residents."
"The No. 792 Uranium Mine is located in Diebu County (also known as Thebo District) in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It was originally established under the State Nuclear Industry Department as one of China's most important sources of uranium, but was "closed as a matter of policy" in 2002 on the basis of mine-exhaustion. Sources say that after the closure, mine employees accused mining and Nuclear Industry Department officials of plundering employee and state assets and damaging the environment, not only locally, but in all downstream areas. However, their complaints were ignored by the authorities.
Sources say that radioactive material from the mine has been improperly handled, with the result that residents near and downstream of the plant have begun suffering a high incidence of cancerous tumors, leukemia, birth defects, miscarriages and other unusual afflictions. Before the mine opened in 1980, the area was well populated by a large variety of fish, bird, plant and animal species, but has since become a barren wasteland. Livestock also suffer unusually high death rates, apparently from drinking contaminated water. Banks, shops and other public buildings report radiation levels many times higher than the normal level. Local medical workers report that nearly half of all deaths in the area are from some form of cancer, but patients' case histories are routinely altered because of "state secrets" concerns. As a result, many residents remain ignorant of the health hazards, and no preventative measures are taken to protect human and animal life.
Sources say Sun Xiaodi began reporting these health concerns to the Nuclear Industry Department in 1988. Instead of an official response, however, Sun reportedly found himself subjected to various forms of retaliation. In 1994 he was dismissed from the mine and forced to make due on a subsistence allowance of a little over 100 yuan per month. His wife and daughter also faced a range of discriminatory treatment and harassment, and the family was under constant surveillance and telephone monitoring, culminating in Sun Xiaodi's apparent abduction at the end of April [2005]." (HRIC release Aug. 19, 2005)
"HRIC fully supports the efforts of Sun Xiaodi's family and friends to ascertain his whereabouts and secure his release. [...] HRIC urges the international community to press the Chinese authorities to conduct an in-depth investigation of Sun's allegations of the corruption and severe human health impacts and environmental degradation at the Gansu No. 792 Uranium Mine." (HRIC release Sep. 7, 2005)
Sun Xiaodi was released from Lanzhou Prison on Dec. 27, 2005. He remained under house arrest until notified on March 12, 2006, that he would be fully released on March 20, 2006. The notice specified that Sun should not leave his village in Diebu County after his release. Following his release from house arrest, Sun set off for Beijing on March 29, 2006, with the intention of petitioning the central government once again, and he was arrested again on April 6, 2006.
(HRIC release Apr. 7, 2006)
He was released soon afterward, but remains under constant police surveillance. (HRIC release Dec. 2, 2006)
Human Rights in China (HRIC) has learned that Gansu-based activist Sun Xiaodi is facing serious harassment by local officials and unknown persons, and has been unable to obtain official permission to seek medical treatment in Beijing for a potentially life-threatening health condition. (HRIC Jan. 2, 2007)
Human Rights in China (HRIC) has learned that rights activist Sun Xiaodi has gone to Beijing for treatment of a life-threatening tumor, while he and his family continue to be seriously harassed and face financial hardship.
(HRIC March 27, 2007)
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The irrigation of the Tselinny uranium mill tailings became insufficient, since the uranium production of the mill was reduced in 1996. Today, only one third of the 800 hectares of tailings is being irrigated, and wind erosion of tailings has become a serious problem. Since neither the present owner, Joint-Stock Company "Kaz-Subtone", nor the local governments have sufficient funds available for continued irrigation, the allocation of the necessary 50 million Tenge (US$ 330,000) is now sought in parliament from the national budget.
(SEU Times No. 3 (25), April 2002)
Aerial view: Google Maps
Reclamation to begin at Koshkar-Ata uranium mill tailings
Reclamation of two sections of the Koshkar-Ata uranium mill tailings dam is to begin on Nov. 1, 2007, and will last 20 months. On Oct. 30, 2007, 402 million Tenge (US$ 3.38 million) have been set aside from the state budget for the reclamation work.
At present, the highest gamma radiation doses at these sections are 3000 micro Roentgen per hour [18.4 micro Sievert per hour]; the applicable standard is 100 micro Roentgen per hour [0.614 micro Sievert per hour], and the reclamation goal is 29.4 micro Roentgen per hour [0.18 micro Sievert per hour].
(Kazakhstan today Oct. 31, 2007)
Low-cost reclamation of Aktau tailings to begin from 2007
124 million Tenge (US$ 1.01 million) have been set aside from the 2007 state budget for the reclamation of the Koshkar-Ata uranium mill tailings, a project that is to begin in 2007. The total reclamation cost is estimated at US$ 8.4 million.
(Kazakhstan today Oct. 26, 2006)
Rising groundwater level increases hazard from Aktau tailings
The rising groundwater table in the Aktau area increases the hazard of contaminant dispersal from the Koshkar-Ata uranium mill tailings to the region and to the Caspian Sea. Scientists, therefore, call for efforts to isolate the tailings.
(Kazakhstan today Aug. 18, 2005)
Reclamation of Aktau tailings to start from 2005
The reclamation of the Koshkar-Ata uranium mill tailings at Aktau is scheduled to begin in 2005 and will cost more than 10 billion Tenge (US$ 76 million), to be funded by the state budget. At present, the expenses on the tailings deposit amount to 300 million Tenge (US$ 2.3 million) annually.
(Kazakhstan today June 16, 2004)
Scientific study on Aktau tailings completed
High levels of heavy metals, rare earth elements, and radionuclides were found in the tailings material and in soils. However, the researchers came to the conclusion that the dust blown from the tailings does not constitute a radioactive danger. Groundwater contamination is identified as the major environmental issue, with potential to contaminate the Caspian Sea.
The Koshkar-Ata tailings pond contains 400 million tonnes of radioactive and toxic waste, including 105 million tonnes of uranium mill tailings. It is located in a depression without exit. Currently, 55% of the tailings surface is covered with water. It is, however, estimated that the complete pond will dry out within 5-6 years.
The study was performed by the Institute of Nuclear Physics on behalf of the Mangistau Oblast Nature Management Department.
(Kazakhstan today Jan. 6, 2004)
Dusting problem at Aktau uranium mill tailings remains serious still
Waste dumps near the western Kazakh town of Aktau remain a source of environmental concern for local ecology officials and scientists. Hundreds of million of tonnes of various radioactive and toxic waste, including some 100 million tonnes of uranium waste, have been discharged into the 'Koshkar-Ata' repository since 1965, impacting the adjacent area and the health of local inhabitants.
"The fine dust from the bare spots of the tailing are blown towards Aktau due to rising winds," said Sarkyt Kudaibergenov, the deputy director of the Kaztransoil science-technology centre, describing the situation as serious.
The dusting problem probably even would be worse, if the Mangistau Chemical Metallurgical Plant had not discharged phosphoric gypsum to the dump from 1994 to 1996. The phosphogypsum has formed a crust, preventing more dusting - for the time being, at least. Also, the recent wet years were favourable for dust suppression, in maintaining the water cover on parts of the tailings. However, a long-term management strategy for the tailings dump still has to be found.
(IRIN Sep 26, 2003)
Kazakhstan cannot control major uranium waste dump
Kazakhstan cannot resolve a problem with control over the state of the Koshkar-Ata tailings dump, which is 5 km away from Aktau.
Three competitive tenders have been held this year to choose a contractor to carry out continuous monitoring of the possible transformation of the radioactive and toxic wastes from the dump into dust. However, a contractor has not been chosen because there were not enough participants in the tenders.
The Koshkar-Ata tailings dump has accumulated over 400 million tonnes of radioactive and toxic waste since 1965; the local budget has allocated some 200,000 dollars to maintain the dump in a stable state for 2001.
(BBC Monitoring Service - UK, Nov 14, 2001)
Reclamation of Zharkent uranium mine to start in 2006
K. Orynbayev of the Department of Natural Resources of the Almaty region reported that a study is being conducted on the closing of the uranium mine in Zharkent. The cost for the conservation of the underground mine are estimated at 24 million Tenge (US$ 180,000). It is planned to conduct tender during March - April 2006, and the works are to begin, once a contractor is determined.
(Kazakhstan today Sep. 27, 2005)
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Tajikistan investigates feasibility of uranium recovery from reprocessing of uranium mill tailings
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IAEA assists Tajikistan to assess hazards from abandoned uranium mill tailings
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) programme is assisting Tajikistan to assess the impact of millions of tonnes of uranium tailings in abandoned sites.
The tailings sites, a potential source of radioactive and heavy metal pollution, are the legacy that has accumulated in the region over five decades of operation of uranium mines and mills without proper environment management programmes in place.
Some of the 10 abandoned uranium mill tailings sites are sited near towns and villages. All of them are in the north of Tajikistan. In Taboshar, a former centre of uranium mining and milling, a hill of more than one million tonnes of process residue tailings lies unprotected, vulnerable to erosion by wind and rain.
Animals drink from pools of water that gather at the foot of the hill when seasonal rains fall, and children play around it. Some material from the tailings sites has also been used in home construction.
But Tajikistan is ill equipped to undertake, on its own, the task of securing the tailings legacy.
IAEA sees its assistance programme as a first step towards seeking donor funding to secure them.
(IAEA June 28, 2007)
Planning for management of abandoned uranium mill tailings in Tajikistan begins
Vostokredmet, the company which mined uranium ore in the Soviet period, announced on October 2, 2006, that the process of documenting radioactive waste pits has begun and plans are being made to bury them safely.
Ecologists in Tajikistan say plans to seek donor funding to bury radioactive waste in the north of the country are long overdue, and warn that local people are still disturbing contaminated earth in the area.
(NBCA Oct 6, 2006)
Tajikistan seeks foreign help for cleanup of legacy from Soviet era uranium mining
"After the Soviet era uranium extraction in northern Tajikistan, some 50 million tonnes of radioactive waste still remain. If earthquakes, landslides or other cataclysms were to intensify, the contamination may spread," warned Saulius Smalys, the pan-European Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) environment advisor in Dushanbe.
Contaminated soil is "open to wind and rain" and nuclear waste "is dispersed over dozens, if not hundreds, of kilometers around," Smalys said.
"Extraction was done manually, with sieves. The technology was so primitive that most of uranium bioxides remained in the waste dump," he said.
Nowadays, the radiation levels now in abandoned mines exceed the norm by scores, while hundreds of Tajiks continue to live on polluted territories, with mine entrances still yawning wide open for the wind to carry contamination far away. According to the OSCE, cancer levels in the north of Tajikistan are 250 percent higher than in other regions.
"Some mines are in inundated areas, near rivers, and radioactive waste may reach the Syrdaria river with rains," Smalys said.
This would prove a catastrophe to the fertile Fergana valley along the great Syrdaria river, with its 10 million inhabitants.
The OSCE plans to aid Tajikistan in working out a technical project to decontaminate the area and is calling on sponsors such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and NATO for funds.
Tajikistan would require "hundreds of millions of dollars" to decontaminate about 10 abandoned mines, said Djabor Salomov, vice-director of the Tajik Academy of Sciences' nuclear security agency.
(The Taipei Times 17 Dec 2004)
Uranium of Leninabad: A Legacy of Radiation , by Iskandar Firuz, Eurasianet 10/3/00
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Kyrgyzstan to create special agency for reclamation of tailings deposits
In Kyrgyzstan, a separate agency on the rehabilitation of tailings dumps will be created. This was reported by the head of the ministry for the extraordinary situations of Kyrgyzstan.
(Kazakhstan today July 14, 2008)
Kyrgyz government issues decision on reclamation of abandoned uranium mill tailings dumps
The prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Igor Chudinov, signed the decision of the government on the measures for providing safety of radioactive and toxic tailings and mine waste dumps.
The cost of the proposed high priority reclamation works on the tailings dumps is estimated at more than 1,524 million Soms (US$ 42 million).
(Okmotpress Mar. 6, 2008)
Kyrgyz ministry requests the police to guard the abandoned uranium mill tailings dumps (!)
The Kyrgyz ministry of extraordinary situations requests the police to guard the abandoned uranium mill tailings dumps in the country.
"If we do not guard the tailings dump and refuse, then the radioactive materials can become tools in the hands of extremist groups and terrorists," the minister said at the government session on Feb. 13, 2008 (?!).
(AKIPress Feb. 14, 2008)
Kyrgyzstan sets up entity for reclamation of abandoned uranium mill tailings
On Feb. 13, 2008, the Kyrgyz government initiated the creation of an agency devoted to the cleanup of the uranium mill tailings legacy in the country.
(Kazakhstan today Feb. 13, 2008)
NATO to assist Kyrgyzstan with management of uranium mill tailings
NATO will help Kyrgyzstan in the realization of five projects on the management of uranium tailings dumps. (Kazakhstan today Oct. 30, 2007)
> See also: Legacy of Uranium Tailings and Environmental Security in the Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Science for Peace project - SfP 981742 (NATO)
No damage to Kyrgyz uranium mill tailings dams from earthquake
The tailings dumps in Kyrgyzstan suffered no damage as a result of a scale-6 earthquake in the south of the republic, according to the ministry of extraordinary situations of Kyrgyzstan.
The earthquake occured on January 8, 2007, at 23:21 hrs; the epicentre was located on the slopes of the Turkestan ridge at the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, 90 kilometers southwest from Batken city and 60 kilometers southeast from Sulyukty city.
According to the data of the ministry, 11 tailings dumps are located in the Batken region, and 26 in the adjacent Dzhalal-Abad region.
At present, 49 tailings dumps in Kyrgyzstan contain about 70 mln. cubic meters of by-products.
(Kazakhstan Today Jan. 9, 2007)
Kyrgyzstan asks for Russian help with uranium mill tailings reclamation
The Kyrgyz-Russian intergovernmental economic cooperation commission asked the Russia Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy (Rosatom) to examine the feasibility of Russia's participation in the recultivation of Kyrgyzstan's uranium production waste and determine the need for and priorities in rehabilitation work.
The Kyrgyz side also asked the Russians for examining a "possibility of funding and research and development for recultivation of the tailing ponds".
(Itar-Tass Dec. 15, 2006)
Kyrgyz Parliament calls for further foreign aid with uranium mill tailings reclamation
On June 18, 2004, the legislative assembly of the Kyrgyz Parliament adopted a resolution on strengthening of the rehabilitation measures of the uranium mill tailings dumps in the country. The parliament calls the government to ensure an effective use of the foreign aid provided so far for the reclamation; and it directs the government to ask also Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for support, and to supply international organizations with information about the existing hazards. The parliament further plans to call the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA for further assistance with the uranium mill tailings problem.
(AKIPress June 18, 2004)
Kyrgyzstan urges donors to write off part of its debt in order to address uranium mill tailings problems, among others
President Askar Akayev urged Kyrgyzstan's creditors on Oct. 14, 2003, to write off part of the country's foreign debt to allow it to address environmental problems he said threaten all of Central Asia. Ecology Minister Satybaldy Chyrmashev told reporters that it will cost US$30 million to $40 million to clean up the uranium mill tailings sites in the southern town of Mayluu-Suu, which threaten to contaminate the water resources in the Fergana valley, which is shared by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
(AP Oct. 15, 2003)
Tailings Reclamation to start in 2004
According to Kyrgyz prime minister Nikolai Tanayev, the reclamation of the Kyrgyz uranium mill tailings deposits will start in 2004, financed with US$ 5 million supplied by the World Bank.
At present, two grants of US$ 370,000 each are being used for investigations of the Mailuu-Su and Kadzhi-Say tailings.
(Kabar Sep. 15, 2003)
Russia, U.S. to help Kyrgyzstan repair uranium tailings dump
Russia and the U.S. are planning to contribute about $560,000 to help repair a uranium storage facility in southern Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Minister Satybaldy Chyrmashev told Interfax on Aug. 1, 2003, that the country's government and the U.S. Department of Energy will sign an intergovernmental agreement envisioning $400,000 for these purposes within the next few days.
He noted that the Russian government has already pledged $160,000 to finance a feasibility study of the storage facility's repairs.
At the same time, the minister said that the promised funds are insufficient for the facility's full repair. "More than 30 Kyrgyz storage facilities, which hold uranium and radioactive wastes, need to be repaired. This effort requires about $30 million," he added.
(Interfax Aug. 1, 2003)
European researchers present investigation results on Kyrgyz tailings
The results of a Franco-Belgian investigation into the uranium mill tailings problem in the Ferghana valley were presented in Bishkek on June 30, 2003. The 2-year study was sponsored by the European Union with Euro 0.5 million under its TACIS program.
According to Hildegarde Vandenhove, expert of the Belgian Nuclear Research Center SCK-CEN [Cookies required], there is no danger for the population of this region, besides specific places. She also reported that the water in the area is completely suitable for drinking, since radionuclide concentrations were low. The main problem were the mechanical stability of the tailings dumps, threatened by landslides and seismic activity.
(AKIpress June 30, 2003)
Tadjikistan to extract residual uranium from Kyrgyz tailings?
Tadjik technology could be used to extract residual uranium from the uranium mill tailings dumps in Kyrgyzstan. This was discussed at a meeting of the Prime ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan in Bishkek on June 5, 2003. The tailings still contain 15% of the uranium originally present in the uranium ore processed.
(Kabar June 5, 2003)
Interparliamentary Assembly group visits tailings sites
A working group of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community is on a fact-finding mission to Kyrgyzstan's tailings dumps. At the invitation of the Kyrgyz parliament's Legislative Assembly, the group arrived in Bishkek on 13 May 2002. The group will visit tailings dumps in Aktyuz, Kadzhi-Say, Min-Kush, Kara Balta and in the Mayli-Say area to formulate practical recommendations on their utilization.
To date, with the assistance of the Russian Federation Ministry for Atomic Energy, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergencies has prepared a feasibility study of projects to recover the tailings dumps near the villages Kadzhi-Say, Min-Kush and the town of Mayli-Say.
At the end of April 2002, the head of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergencies, Radbek Eshmambetov, stated that the World Bank plans to grant 1 million dollars to support these projects. The project at the tailing dumps in the Mayli-Say area, which has a grant from the European Union's TACIS (Technical Assistance to the CIS countries) programme worth 500,000 Euros, is being carried out. The project is aimed at investigating the situation and drawing up projects. About 25 million dollars are needed to recultivate and recover the country's uranium tailings dumps.
(Kabar news agency May 8 / BBC Monitoring Service May 9/13, 2002)
NATO funds study on impacts of possible earthquakes in the Fergana valley
NATO has allocated Euro 250,000 for a study of the impacts of possible earthquakes in the Fergana valley. The study will be performed by the University of Portsmouth (UK). (Kazakhstan today Nov. 11, 2008)
OSCE and Kyrgyz Government to assess and reduce threat posed by uranium dumps in south-east Kyrgyzstan
The OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Ministry for Emergency Situations and several international organizations decided to raise money for a technical assessment of the threats posed by radioactive dumps in the Minkush area in south-east Kyrgyzstan, and for subsequent rehabilitation efforts. The assessment will be carried out in September 2006.
The Minkush area dumps contain waste from uranium mining in the former Soviet Union from 1958 to 1969. They pose a threat to environment of the Naryn region of the Kyrgyz Republic and the fertile Ferghana valley.
The region is also threatened by landslides. A radioactive dump near the Tuuk-Suu River risks being flooded if a landslide blocks the river. Heavy rain- and snowfall in 2003-2005 contributed to the triggering of landslides.
"The climate and the earthquake situation in the past 10 years have created conditions that could trigger landslides, which result in mudslides and catastrophic floods," said Bakir Jolchiev, Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations.
(OSCE Bishkek June 14, 2006)
Landslide threatens uranium tailings deposit in Central Kyrgyzstan
A potential landslide in the central Kyrgyz province of Naryn could affect a uranium waste dump, threatening up to 50,000 people, according to the Kyrgyz emergency ministry.
"The danger of a landslide is very serious. Currently, according to an expert who has been monitoring the situation on the ground since August, the landslide is moving by 1 to 1.5 cm per day," Emil Akmatov, a ministry spokesman, told IRIN from the capital, Bishkek, on Nov. 1, 2004.
According to the emergency ministry, a special inter-ministry commission has just completed an assessment of the situation in the Min-Kush settlement of Naryn province, where in August a land mass of some 700,000 cubic metres started to slide down in the Tuyuk-Suu area.
Experts from the emergency ministry, the academy of sciences and some scientific research institutions say that if the landslide collapsed it would create a natural dam 30 m high and a subsequent reservoir 200 m long.
They warn that this would destroy the Tuyuk-Suu nuclear waste dump and that the rivers Min-Kush, Kokomeren and Naryn (a tributary of the Syrdarya river, one of the major water sources in Central Asia) would be polluted with radioactivity. "If that were to happen, up to 50,000 people could be affected," Akmatov said.
There are four uranium waste dumps in the vicinity of Min-Kush with a total volume of 800,000 cu m, of which 400,000 cu m are radioactive, according to the emergency officials.
(IRIN Nov. 1, 2004)
Reforestation of Kara Balta uranium mill tailings ongoing
Parts of the Kara Balta uranium mill tailings have been covered with a 0.7 m neutral soil layer and are now being planted with trees.
(AKIPress April 19, 2005)
Metal thieves selling contaminated scrap metal from Kara Balta uranium mill
The Karabalta Mining Combine's director Vladimir Mashenko told IWPR, "We have existed for 50 years, and all our unserviceable equipment is buried because of uranium contamination. Now scavengers are digging up these radioactive items to sell to metal yards."
(Institute for War & Peace Reporting Feb. 11, 2004)
Finland contributes funds for securing of Kara Balta uranium mill tailings
On Dec. 4, 2002, the government of Finland donated more than 3 million Euros for environmental tasks in Kyrgyzstan. The projects supported include the stabilization of the Kara Balta uranium mill tailings dump.
(AKIPress Dec. 4, 2002)
Contaminated mushrooms claim victims in Kyrgyzstan
Toxic mushrooms have appeared in Dzhayyl District [of Chuy Region, northern Kyrgyzstan]. One inhabitant of Kara Balta has died, and another five are in intensive care, suffering complications. The staff of the sanitary and epidemiological station are warning that inhabitants are picking mushrooms in the restricted zone of the Kara Balta uranium tailings dump, the largest in the country.
(Public Educational Radio and TV, Bishkek / BBC Monitoring Service May 8, 2002)
Residents digging for raw materials at Orlovka uranium mill tailings
On Feb. 11, 2006, residents began digging for mono-silicon around the decommissioned Orlovka uranium mill tailings dump in the Chui region (Northern Kyrgyzstan). According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MCHS), the gamma dose at the deepest point of the excavations 10 meters from the tailings pit was about 1,500 micro-roentgens per hour [9.2 µSv/h]; the tailings dump remained intact, however.
(RIA Novosti, AKIPress, MCHS, Feb. 16, 2006)
Reclamation of Kadzhi-Say uranium mill tailings completed
The rehabilitation of the uranium tailing deposit located in Kajisai village has been completed.
About 2 years ago, the U.S. Government allocated US$ 400,000 to the International Scientific Technical Center to implement this project. The main goal of the project is to show effectiveness of the rehabilitation work on the tailings deposits at an international level. The project was implemented by Kyrgyz specialists with participation of scientists of University of California.
(AKIpress/Kyrg. Ministry of Emergency Situations, March 29, 2006)
U.S. Government finances cleanup of Kadzhi-Say uranium mill tailings
The embassy of the USA plans to spend 400,000 dollars for the cleanup of the Kadzhi-Say tailings dump. If the American side will be satisfied by the results of the works carried out, then they will continue financing, first of all the repair of the Mayluu-Su uranium mill tailings.
The Kadzhi-Say tailings dump with an area of 10,800 square meters and with a volume of 0.15 million cubic meters is located in the region of the Kadzhi-Say settlement, altogether only 1.5 km from the Issyk-Kul lake.
(AKIpress Nov. 28, 2002)
(Note: there are numerous varying transliterations of "Mailii-Su" in use, such as Mailuu-Su, Maili-Suu, Mayli-Say, etc.)
> See also: Mailuu-Suu tailings reprocessing project
Relocation of two tailings dumps in Mailii-Suu to begin in 2009
Within the framework of the World Bank project it is planned to transfer the tailings dumps No.3 and No.18 to another, more safe place - into the tailings dump No.6.
Work on the transfer of these tailings dumps will begin in 2009.
(AKIPress Nov. 13, 2008)
Assessment of radiation exposure in the uranium mining and milling area of Mailuu Suu
A radiological assessment was performed for critical group members living in the city of Mailuu Suu, located downstream the tailings, or in the village of Kara Agach, partially located on a uranium mine waste dump.
The actual external exposure is around 1.2 mSv/a at both locations and exposure from radon is around 3 mSv/a at Mailuu Suu and around 10 mSv/a at Kara Agach. Ingestion dose was negligible for a critical group member living at Mailuu Suu. At Kara Agach, however, under the hypothesis that all food and fodder is cultivated locally, exposure from ingestion is much higher: approximately 10 mSv/a for an adult and 30 mSv/a for a child.
For an accidental scenario it is assumed that the whole content of 110,000 cubic metres of Tailing 3 (or part of it) is thrust to the river during a normal flow period. In this case, estimated additional maximum doses result in 45 mSv for an adult and 77 mSv for a child during a 2-year period, until the tailings have been washed away by the river. These doses are mainly from the assumed consumption of contaminated water and fish from the river; these pathways have to be intercepted in case of such an accident, therefore.
Assessment of radiation exposure in the uranium mining and milling area of Mailuu Suu, Kyrgyzstan, by Vandenhove H, Sweeck L, Mallants D, et al., in: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 88, No. 2, 2006, p.118-139
Kyrgyzstan asks World Bank to speed up work on tailings dumps reclamation at Maili-Suu
On Dec. 10, 2005, the Minister of Extreme Situations of Kyrgyzstan Janysh Rustenbekov at a meeting with the official representatives of the World Bank led by Mr. Joop Stoutjesdijk asked them to speed up their work with the uranium mill tailings dumps in Maili-Suu (Jalalabad region), MES press service reported.
"The population asks us about it, because they are tired to sit on powder barrel," - the minister said.
As press service reported, the World Bank this year has allocated $ 10 million for works with the tailings dumps in Maili-Suu. The project "Prevention of extreme situations" was approved by the World Bank's Executive Directors board on June 15, 2004, and was started on September 28, 2004. It will last till 2010.
As Joop Stoutjesdijk said, the signing of the contracts and tenders announcement took much time. At the same time, the first results of the project will be known already in 2006.
He also said that the government of Japan is also taking part in this project. The governments of Germany and Switzerland and UNDP are also funding the project.
(AKIPress Dec. 12, 2005)
Landslide close to Mailuu-Suu uranium tailings dump
A landslide which hit the area surrounding the southern Kyrgyz town of Mailuu-Suu on the evening of April 13, 2005, is causing concern among the authorities because of its proximity to huge radioactive dumps from Soviet-era uranium mines.
A land mass of around 300,000 cubic metres, several hundred metres in width and up to 10 metres high halted the flow of a key river and water source in Mailuu-Suu and blocked the road linking the town with the adjacent village of Sary-Bee.
According to the Kyrgyz emergency ministry, part of the landslide is alarmingly close to radioactive waste dump number three – one of many in the area.
(IRIN Apr. 14, 2005)
IAEA takes environmental samples in Mailuu-Suu area
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been inspecting uranium waste dumps in the southern Kyrgyz town of Mailuu-Suu. Peter Waggitt, an IAEA scientist, visited the area in late October and took samples from the ground at several dozen sites for further testing under laboratory conditions, Tilek Akambaev, the mayor of Mailuu-Suu, told IRIN.
According to the mayor, final test results will be released later in November. The IAEA is interested in gaining specific information on the impact the radioactive dumps are having on the environment and people's health. The Kyrgyzstan National Sciences Academy (KNASA) has surveyed about 170 sites at Mailuu-Suu and concluded that high levels of radioactivity were present.
(IRIN Nov. 2, 2004)
World Bank and Japan pledge funds for cleanup of Maili-Say uranium mill tailings
The World Bank's International Development Association will provide $6.9 million for the cleanup of the Mayli-Say uranium mill tailings and Japan another $1.95 million, the Kyrgyz Kabar news agency said. Kyrgyzstan's government also will provide $2 million, according to the Russian Itar-Tass news agency.
The bank's board of directors will examine the project in June 2004. If it is approved, work will start in summer.
(Big News Network May 4, 2004)
On June 15, 2004, the Board of Directors of the World Bank approved a US$6.9 million IDA grant to the Kyrgyz Republic in support of the Disaster Hazard Mitigation Project. The project aims at minimizing the exposure of humans and livestock to radionuclides associated with abandoned uranium mine tailings and waste rock dumps in the Mailuu-Suu area, improve the effectiveness of emergency management and response by national and sub-national authorities and local communities to disaster situations, and reduce the loss of life and property in key landslide areas of the country. (World Bank June 15, 2004)
Cleanup cost for Mailuu-Suu uranium mill tailings now estimated at $20 - 25 million
World Bank experts visiting the area on March 11-16, 2004, have estimated the cleanup cost for the abandoned uranium mill tailings in the Mailuu-Suu area at US$ 20-25 million.
(AKIPress March 19, 2004)
OSCE launches information campaign to raise local public awareness on Mailuu-Su uranium mill tailings hazards
The campaign, called "Life Safety in Mailuu-Suu", is a joint undertaking of the OSCE Center in Bishkek , the Science-Engineering Centre "GeoPribor" and the Kyrgyz National Academy of Sciences. It will be carried out between 12 and 16 January 2004.
At the local level, public awareness of the threat remains alarmingly low. Citizens of the Mailuu-Suu region continue to walk freely among dangerously contaminated and poorly marked sites. The people have often appropriated land on such sites to graze their livestock and used radioactive earth to craft building materials for their homes. The citizens, especially the children of Mailuu-Suu town, are unaware of the dangers, and do not know how to live safely in a contaminated environment.
> View OSCE release Jan. 9, 2004
France intends to assist in reclamation of Mayluu-Su tailings
France intends to take part through the European Union in the solution of the problem of the Mayluu-Suu tailings dumps. This was confirmed by French Minister of Environment Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin in a meeting with Kyrgyz President Akayev.
(Kabar Oct. 8, 2003)
Uzbekistan to participate in reclamation of Maylii-Su tailings
At the occasion of a session of the Uzbek-Kyrgyz intergovernmental commission, held in Tashkent July 9-10, 2003, Uzbekistan agreed to participate in the process of rehabilitation of the tailings dumps in Mayli-Suu.
(AKIpress July 11, 2003)
Mailii Su uranium mill tailings threatened by landslide
The Tectonic-1 giant landslide which is pending over the tailings
dump of uranium waste near the town of Mailuu-Suu has become active
in the south of Kirghizia.
The Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations (MEES) of Kirghizia
reported that a small part of the landslide with a volume of 250 cu m
came down near the Kirghizelektroizolit plant as a result of
downpours on the left bank of the Mailuu-Suu river. The earth mass
blocked the Mailuu-Suu - Sary-Bez motor road.
According to the MEES officers, another landslide, smaller in volume,
also moved there.
The management of the enterprise and the representatives of the
Ministry established round-the-clock observation of the state of the
landslides which have become active.
Several dozens of landslides are now threatening the tailings dumps.
If such large ones as the Tectonic-1, Koi-Tash and TEC with the
volume of movable mass amounting to 2-3 million cu m come down they
can completely destroy the "tailings", which will cause large-scale
radiation contamination of the environment. In this case the
environmental catastrophe will affect all the countries of Central
Asia.
(RIA Novosti April 23, 2003)
Government of Norway offers help for cleanup of Mailii Su uranium mill tailings
> View Final press release of the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit (Nov. 1, 2002)
World Bank to provide grant for cleanup of old uranium mill tailings
The World Bank plans to provide Kyrgyzstan with about $700 million for its poverty reduction program. The Kyrgyz government will use the grants to finance environmental projects, including the rehabilitation of the country's 23 uranium storage facilities.
(Interfax Oct 12, 2002)
Kyrgyzstan requests aid for management of hazard from old Mailii Su uranium mill tailings
President of the Kyrgyz Republic Askar Akaev is requesting donor aid to cover the cost of $15 million required to manage the hazard from the old uranium mill tailings in the Mailii Su area. A possible break of the tailing dumps may would have serious consequences in the Ferghana Valley.
(Kabar News Oct 9, 2002)
Landslide threatens uranium mill tailings dump in Kyrgyzstan
A huge landslide nearly 400,000 cubic meters in size has barricaded a local river, posing a threat of flooding a radioactive dumping site near the town of Maylisu in the south of Kyrgyzstan, ITAR-TASS was told by press service chief of the Kyrgyz Ministry for Ecology and Emergencies Aleksey Yermolov.
Local civil defence teams are making all possible efforts in order to clear the river grounds. Otherwise, the river might flood one of the nuclear dumping sites near Maylisu, Yermolov said...
(ITAR-TASS news agency / BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 13, 2002)
According to the state news agency KABAR, a 4000 cubic meter landslide started on May 12, 2002. Near the town of Sary-Bee (3000 inhabitants), the landslide partially filled the bed of the Mayluu-Suu river and covered a highway. In the case of a complete barricade of the river, the water can wash off the tailings dumps located along the river. The Kyrgyz government is prepared to evacuate the population if necessary. As of May 13, the landslide was still in motion.
(Kabar news agency May 13, 2002 - in Russian)
Tailings Dam Safety Fears
Prolonged rainfall and a series of earthquakes across Central Asia have renewed fears of waste uranium escaping from nuclear waste pits in Kyrgyzstan's southern province of Jalal-Abad.
Should a mudslide or earthquake displace millions of cubic metres of material from the nuclear waste disposal areas, there is concern that it could pose a threat not just to southern Kyrgyzstan but also to the wider region.
Anarkul Aitaliev, from the department of environmental monitoring, part of the ministry of the environment and emergencies, described a chilling worst-case scenario, involving the river Maily-Suu triggering a radioactive mudslide of 120,000 cubic metres "tearing through Central Asia all the way to the Aral Sea". Emphasising the scale of the problem, he added, "That's what only one of the pits can do".
The river Maily-Suu currently flows just a few metres away from the nearest tailing pit. Heightening the sense of alarm, the last earthquake to shake the area, which occurred only a few days ago, was close to the burial sites.
(Institute for War & Peace Reporting, May 1, 2002 )
OSCE drawing attention to Mailii Su uranium mill tailings problem
The OSCE intends to carry out research into the problems of the Mailii Su uranium mill tailings in order to draw the attention of the European Union and the World Bank to them. According to environmental experts it is necessary to prevent landslides, which could lead to an environmental catastrophe in the Fergana valley, where more than 10 million people of three countries live [Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan].
(BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Apr 20, 2002)
> See also OSCE Bishkek Activities
Kyrgyzstan seeks funding for uranium mill tailings reclamation
Russian experts of the All-Russia Research Institute of Industrial Technology have prepared a feasibility study for tackling the problems of some Kyrgyz radioactive dumps and submitted it to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Ecology and Emergencies. The estimated total cost of the work to be done is 8.8 million dollars:
- Kadzhi-Say (one tailings dump and a tip - $657,000),
- Min-Kush (eight tailings dumps - $3.6 million),
- Mayli-Say (the two the most dangerous tailings dumps - $4.5 million)
(BBC Monitoring Service Feb 22, 2002 / Vecherniy Bishkek Feb 19, 2002)
Russia assists in reclamation of uranium mill tailings in Kyrgyzstan
The Russian Nuclear Energy Ministry has responded urgently to Kyrgyzstan's request for reclamation work to be carried out at uranium dumps in the south of the republic. The uranium waste is located over an area of 20 square kilometres in an area prone to floods and landslides on the bank of the Maylisu river, near houses and production facilities. The ministry prepared a feasibility study for the full reclamation of the Kadzhi-Say burial ground. A meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian intergovernmental commission has approved the project. Russian experts are continuing to investigate other tailing dumps as well. (BBC/Kabar Oct. 11, 2001)
European Union initiates cleanup of Mailii Su uranium mill tailings
In a two year project starting in 1997, the European Union
supports the remediation of the uranium mill tailings deposits
at Mailii Su, Kyrgyzstan, under its TACIS program . The project includes a survey of the environmental
impacts of the existing uranium mill tailings deposits, the
development of management plans for the tailings sites needing
remediation, and the first steps towards relocation of the most
dangereous dump.
> View Mailii Su site report by Gerhard
Schmidt
> View decommissioning data
Concern over radioactive waste left at former Baghalchur uranium mine
Speakers at a seminar held on July 17, 2006, did not rule out the possibility of health hazards out of nuclear activities in Dera Ghazi Khan. However, they said, no such scientific evidence could be found there.
The seminar on "nuclear waste management" was organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) .
(Dawn July 18, 2006)
Prof. Khalid Rashid, a former PAEC employee who currently teaches Mathematical Modelling and Simulation at the Bahria University, in Islamabad, says what is important is to carry out a survey that would reveal "the effects on health of the people of Baghalchur".
Looking at the records for the last 30 years, that are kept in the district hospital, would give some clue, says Rashid. He added that, as far back as in 1982, a medical doctor at the hospital had told him that the incidence of leukemia among Baghalchur residents was about six times higher than the national average.
(IPS May 31, 2006)
On May 19, 2006, a ruling party senator from Punjab accused the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) of dumping nuclear waste in a village near Dera Ghazi Khan without observing international safety standards, causing many deaths in the area.
Speaking on a point of order in the Senate, Sardar Jamal Khan Leghari of the Pakistan Muslim League said the PAEC had been mining uranium in the village for 25 years for one of its facilities near D. G. Khan and dumping the nuclear waste in the open.
He said the matter was of serious nature and it should be referred either to the standing committee on defence or environment. He said the dumping of the nuclear waste was affecting poor people from Baloch and Leghari tribes living in the area, several of whom had already died.
Later, talking to journalists, Mr Leghari said livestock mortality and diseases among people living in the Baghalchur village near D. G. Khan were on the rise due to uranium mining in the area. He said the people of the village working as mine labourers had adverse effects on their health. He claimed that life expectancy in the village had reduced to 40 years.
Replying to a question, he said some villagers had taken the matter to the Supreme Court but the court had decided to keep the proceedings secret.
After publication of such reports in a section of the press, PAEC authorities had claimed that the waste was being dumped underground in tunnels and there had been no radioactive effects of it on the area population and its environs.
(Dawn May 21, 2006)
Residents of Baghul Chur tribal area are concerned at the "unsafe dumping of atomic waste" in the area. Speaking at a news conference on March 18, 2006, representatives of Mubarki union council Khan Nazir Ahmed, Yaqoob Shah and Hafeezullah Shah demanded that atomic waste be removed from their land as it was causing harm to humans, animals, water and soil. They claimed that as many as 400 drums of atomic waste and other material were lying in the open.
They told the press that they had already lodged an application with the sessions court seeking preservation of atmosphere, land, water, human and animal health of the area of Mubarki Tuman Leghari. The District and Sessions Judges (D&SJ) had sent the application to the Law, Justice and Human Rights Commission, Islamabad.
Mining for uranium was started in Baghul Chur in 1977 and the project ended in 2000. The Atomic Energy Commission had asked the political assistant to dispose of the building established in Bagul Chur.
"The authorities concerned did not take required safety measures while winding up the project," they claimed.
Political assistant Tariq Bokhari said there were some stores in Baghul Chur but rejected claims of their adverse affects.
(Dawn Mar 19, 2006)
Pakistan closes Baghalchur mine
The existing uranium mining project in Baghalchar is to be 'wound up' from 30 November, 1999. According to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), the project is closing because the reserves have been worked out and not because of 'foreign pressure' as some politicians have apparently alleged. (UI News Briefing 99.42)
> View decommissioning data
Work begins to ship uranium-contaminated soil to U.S. for disposal
On August 29, 2005, the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute began work to ship soil contaminated with uranium from Yurihama, Tottori Prefecture, to the United States for disposal. But the work was suspended almost immediately due to an accident after a bag containing the soil fell from a vehicle during transportation, causing slight injuries to a worker.
Of the 3,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil in the town's Katamo district, the institute will dispose of 290 cubic meters with a relatively high surface radiation level.
According to the institute's plan, the soil will be packed in a metal container and transported to Kobe port by truck. After clearing customs, it will be shipped to the United States on a container vessel in early October.
In the United States, a company which the institute has contracted will dispose of the soil at a cost of about 660 million yen [US$ 6 million], and use the extracted uranium for power generation there, institute officials said.
(Kyodo Aug. 29, 2005)
Work resumed on September 1, 2005, to ship uranium-contaminated soil from a mountain forest in Tottori Prefecture to the United States. Officials at the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute said the delay will not affect its plan to ship the soil from the port in Kobe to Seattle in early October 2005.
(Japan Times Sep. 2, 2005)
As of September 17, 2005, the removal of about 290 cubic meters of soil from Yurihama was completed, and the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute plans to ship it in early October [2005?] from Kobe to Seattle. But, the institute has come up with no plan yet to remove the remaining 90 percent of the contaminated soil still left there. If the institute fails to remove all of the contaminated soil by May 2006, the institute must face an additional 50,000 yen [US$ 450] penalty to the residents.
(Kyodo Sep. 17, 2005)
The ship left Kobe on Oct. 3, 2005, and is heading for the Port of Everett, Washington. Ed Paskovskis, deputy port director, said the uranium levels are too low to require a hazardous materials label. Paskovskis said that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined that the soils don't require a special import license, another indicator of the low levels of the radioactive material.
(Everett Herald Oct. 4, 2005)
From Everett, the material is to be trucked to the White Mesa Mill south of Blanding, Utah, and processed into yellowcake. Unusable material will go into the tailings ponds behind the plant. Since the material is regarded as ore rather than waste, no special license by NRC nor the state is required; the processing of ore is covered by the mill's license.
(Salt Lake Tribune Oct. 5, 2005)
Nuclear institute plans to dispose of uranium-contaminated soil in the U.S.
The Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute plans to ship soil contaminated with uranium from Yurihama, Tottori Prefecture, to the United States for disposal.
Of the 3,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil in the town's Katamo district, 290 cubic meters, with a relatively high surface radiation level, will be shipped, sources said.
According to the institute's plan, a U.S. firm will dispose of the soil in the United States at a total cost of more than 600 million yen [US$ 5.5 million], they said, adding it remains to be seen what will be done with the remaining 2,700 cubic meters of soil.
The soil originated from test-drilling of uranium by the institute's predecessor, the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation, around Ningyo Pass on the border of Tottori and Okayama prefectures in the 1950s and 1960s. The institute has been paying 750,000 yen [US$ 6900] per day to the local community since its failure to remove the soil by the court-set deadline of March 10, 2005.
(Kyodo June 12, 2005)
Nuclear institute ordered to remove uranium soil in Tottori
On June 25, 2002, the Tottori District Court ordered the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) to remove uranium-contaminated soil it had left abandoned for about 40 years in the prefecture.
It came to light in August 1988 that the public corporation had abandoned approximately 16,000 cubic meters of waste soil in the Katamo district of Togo, where it had dug up uranium from 1958 to 1962, according to the ruling. The level of radioactivity measured 1 meter above the surface of the soil exceeds the government-set upper limit.
Local residents demanded that JNC remove all the waste soil from the uranium collection site, forcing the corporation to ask some local governments for permission to accept the radioactive soil in their territories. But all of them refused to cooperate.
In August 1990, JNC and the neighborhood association concluded the agreement that the public corporation would remove some 3,000 cubic meters of highly radioactive soil from the site "with the cooperation of local governments concerned."
Judge Naito dismissed the claim by the public corporation that it cannot carry out its duty because it has not gained cooperation from local governments concerned in accepting the soil in other areas, which it says is a precondition for removing the soil from the site.
(Mainichi Shimbun, June 25, 2002)
On July 4, 2002, the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute decided to appeal the June 25 district court ruling ordering it to remove the uranium-contaminated soil.
(Kyodo, July 4, 2002)
On Oct. 14, 2004, the Supreme Court finalized an order for the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute to remove the uranium-contaminated soil.
(Kyodo, Oct. 14, 2004)
The Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute will start paying a fine of 750,000 yen (US$ 7,210) a day to local residents in the western Japan town of Yurihama from March 11, 2005, for its failure to meet a deadline to remove uranium-contaminated soil left in the town, JNC officials said. JNC said it is seeking a place to temporarily store the tainted soil to end the payment of the fines as early as possible. (Kyodo March 11, 2005)
Protestors dump uranium mining waste on nuclear facility's doorstep
On Dec. 2, 1999, a residents group in Togocho, Tottori Prefecture, transported 800 kilograms of dirt left over from the former Ningyo-Toge uranium mine by truck 15 km to the Ningyo Pass facility owned by the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute in Kamisaibarason, Okayama Prefecture.
At Ningyo-Toge, uranium had been mined on a small scale from 1969 to 1982. In 1993/94, 3,000 metric tons of contaminated soil were transferred from the mining site to the current location, owned by now defunct Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Cooperation (Donen), for "temporary" storage. Since the expiration of the lease signed by the facility and local landowners three years ago, residents have been demanding that the dirt be removed by the end of the year.
(Yomiuri Shimbun Dec. 3, 1999)
