Concerns over a potential environmental catastrophe at the Kumtor mine, Kyrgyzstan’s largest gold deposit, have gained traction following a recent statement by Adilet Usupbaev, an ecologist from the National Academy of Sciences. According to Usupbaev, a waste dump at the high-altitude mine is shifting toward the Kumtor River, which feeds into the Naryn River and, eventually, the Syr Darya River, raising fears of severe contamination if waste reaches the waterway.
Ecologist Raises Alarm in Parliament
Speaking in Parliament, Usupbaev explained that waste rock dumps, formed as a byproduct of mining operations, are gradually shifting. While several such dumps exist at Kumtor, one in particular is now edging closer to the Kumtor River.
“If the dump reaches the Kumtor River, it will be a disaster. We need urgent measures to stop its movement, planting Caragana shrubs, for instance. As an experiment, we planted them in the area, and they took root. The shrubbery won’t stop the dump entirely, but it’s at least an attempt,” Usupbaev said.
He warned that waste accumulation at mining sites across the country is increasing each year, potentially leading to widespread environmental damage if proper land reclamation is not implemented. Many dumps, he noted, contain harmful chemical compounds.
Mining Company Rejects Claims
The Kumtor Gold Company dismissed the ecologist’s concerns, asserting that his claims lack an objective basis. The company emphasized that the movement of waste dumps is occurring at a slower rate than anticipated.
“At present, actual displacement is within our 2023 forecast and does not yet match the projected values for 2025. The dump remains 160 meters from the 2025 boundary and roughly one kilometer from the Kumtor River,” the company stated.
Kumtor officials insisted that continuous scientific monitoring allows them to assess and manage geotechnical risks, preventing potential hazards such as dump collapses or water contamination. They further argued that the dumps consist solely of waste rock mass, free of harmful chemical elements.
Has This Happened Before?
Kumtor has previously been the cause of significant environmental issues. In 1998, a traffic accident led to almost a ton of cyanide spilling into a river near the village of Barskoon.
In terms of waste dump movements, in 2013, shifting rock masses threatened residential areas, administrative buildings, and a weather station, forcing the company to demolish and relocate infrastructure.
According to Isakbek Torgoev, head of the Geoecological Monitoring Laboratory at the Kyrgyz National Academy of Sciences, the movement of waste rock dumps is a constant process at Kumtor due to the thawing of permafrost beneath them.
“These dumps are always moving, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but Kumtor’s geotechnical service closely monitors them. The Lysyi Glacier dump is currently the closest to the Kumtor River, but it is still about a kilometer away,” Torgoev told The Times of Central Asia.
Torgoev recalled visiting the mine a decade ago as part of a government commission tasked with inspecting the dumps. At the time, authorities stated that all waste dumps should be stabilized by the mine’s closure, a goal that has yet to be fully achieved.
Future Plans for Stabilization
Torgoev noted that Kumtor has a land reclamation plan for post-closure stabilization, which includes planting vegetation to anchor the rock and prevent further movement — an established practice in the mining industry.
“There are dumps from ten years ago at Kumtor that have become overgrown with wild plants and are now stable. Given this, along with Kumtor’s geo-monitoring efforts and their stated commitment to mine reclamation, an immediate threat to the Kumtor River seems unlikely,” he said.
