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BISHKEK (TCA) — On May 7, the Kyrgyz Parliament held public hearings on the draft law banning the development of uranium deposits in Kyrgyzstan for 50 years. The discussion was attended by the parliament members, local community activists, journalists and residents of the regions where uranium mining is possible. Continue reading
BISHKEK (TCA) — The stage has been set for the start of remedial work at two uranium legacy sites in Kyrgyzstan, part of a wider plan to deal with the harmful legacy of Soviet-era uranium mining and processing in Central Asia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on April 29. Work is now expected to begin this year, initially at the Shekaftar site, following a grant agreement signed between the Kyrgyz authorities and the EBRD. A grant is provided by the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia (ERA), a fund initiated by the European Commission and managed by the EBRD. The agreement was signed on behalf of the EBRD by its Director for Nuclear Safety, Balthasar Lindauer, and the Kyrgyz Minister for Emergency Situations, Nurbolot Mirzahmedov. It allows for the start of a tender process for the selection of a contractor for the work at the Min-Kush and Shekaftar sites. These two sites have been identified as top priorities because of the environmental risks they pose. After meetings in Bishkek with the Kyrgyz authorities on April 29, Mr Lindauer said: “We are grateful to the Kyrgyz government for the strong partnership we have established. Today we have taken important decisions to start work and reduce the risks to the people of the Kyrgyz Republic from these old mining sites.” The ERA was set up in 2015 to rehabilitate high-priority sites in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Framework Agreements have been signed with all three countries. Central Asia served as an important source of uranium in the former Soviet Union. Uranium was mined for over 50 years and uranium ore was also imported from other countries for processing. A large amount of radioactively-contaminated material was placed in mining waste dumps and tailing sites. Most of the mines were closed by 1995 but very little remediation was done before or after the closure of the mining and milling operations. The EBRD is the only international financial institution engaged in nuclear safety and decommissioning programs and has been active in the field since 1993. ERA is the latest fund managed by the EBRD and it is supported by contributions from the European Commission, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway and Lithuania.
BISHKEK (TCA) — A pledging event on 8 November 2018 is expected to demonstrate the international community’s solidarity with efforts to overcome the legacy of uranium mining in Central Asia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reported on its website. Continue reading
BISHKEK (TCA) — Resolving the legacy of uranium mining in Central Asia is becoming urgent, and further action is needed to prevent the release of radioactive and toxic waste not only locally but also to protect transboundary rivers from pollution. It will protect the Fergana Valley, which is of high significance for the economic development of the region, the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic said on May 28. Continue reading
DUSHANBE (TCA) — Project results have been finalised containing detailed plans for the sustainable remediation of the uranium mining and processing legacy sites at Degmay and Istiklol in Tajikistan. It is now clear what type of work needs to be done to effectively improve the situation for the local population and to stop spreading the contamination, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan has said. Continue reading
TASHKENT (TCA) — Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation and the Government of Uzbekistan have signed a nuclear cooperation agreement. Rosatom said the agreement was signed by the company’s Director General Alexey Likhachev and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Nodir Otazhonov on December 29. “The agreement paves the way for bilateral cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan in many aspects of civil nuclear energy. The collaboration could include creation and development of infrastructure in Uzbekistan, training, construction of nuclear power plants and research reactors, as well as operational and maintenance support during their life cycle,” Rosatom said in a statement. The Russian company also said the agreement could also cover “exploration and mining of uranium, handling of uranium waste and the production of radioisotopes for use in medicine, agriculture and academic research.” Likhachev said that Rosatom was ready to build a two-unit nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan and has offered to start training Uzbek nuclear experts-to-be at Moscow's expense beginning in September 2018, RFE/RL reported. In early November, during a visit to Tashkent by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a memorandum on cooperation between Rosatom and Uzbekistan's Academy of Science was signed, along with an agreement on production and provision of nuclear fuel by Uzbekistan for Rosatom.
