OSCE Centre supports conference on uranium tailings in Kyrgyzstan
(OSCE/Azamat Ababakirov)Radioactive tailings were the focus of an OSCE-supported international conference in Bishkek, 11 April 2007. (OSCE/Azamat Ababakirov) Photo details
BISHKEK, 12 April 2007 - Assessing problems of radioactive tailings in Mingkush, in the Naryn region in the north of Kyrgyzstan, is the aim of an OSCE-supported international conference that ends in Bishkek tomorrow.
Uranium tailings in Kyrgystan are a byproduct of the Soviet-era uranium mining. They contain over a dozen radioactive materials which are all extremely harmful to people. The most serious health hazard associated with uranium mining is lung cancer due to inhaling uranium decay products
Participants are analyzing the current conditions of the uranium tailings in Mingkush and are expected to offer recommendations on further implementing the re-cultivating processes. Support from donor organizations in order to prevent an environmental disaster in Mingkush is also being discussed.
"Environmental issues in the Fergana Valley are essential, and this meeting is a good opportunity to highlight particular concerns and share experiences with environmental stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan," said Ambassador Markus Muller, the Head of the OSCE Centre. "Radioactive tailings are a problem that affects the whole region and that is why it requires a regional approach to solve it."
The three-day conference, organized by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, brought together representatives of the Kyrgyz Government and international organizations, scientists and experts from Central Asia, Europe and the United States.
Kyrgyz Minister of Emergency Situations Turatbek Djunushaliev thanked the OSCE Centre for helping bring together scientists and experts dealing with uranium tailings.
Uranium tailings in Kyrgystan are a byproduct of the Soviet-era uranium mining. They contain over a dozen radioactive materials which are all extremely harmful to people. The most serious health hazard associated with uranium mining is lung cancer due to inhaling uranium decay products
Participants are analyzing the current conditions of the uranium tailings in Mingkush and are expected to offer recommendations on further implementing the re-cultivating processes. Support from donor organizations in order to prevent an environmental disaster in Mingkush is also being discussed.
"Environmental issues in the Fergana Valley are essential, and this meeting is a good opportunity to highlight particular concerns and share experiences with environmental stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan," said Ambassador Markus Muller, the Head of the OSCE Centre. "Radioactive tailings are a problem that affects the whole region and that is why it requires a regional approach to solve it."
The three-day conference, organized by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, brought together representatives of the Kyrgyz Government and international organizations, scientists and experts from Central Asia, Europe and the United States.
Kyrgyz Minister of Emergency Situations Turatbek Djunushaliev thanked the OSCE Centre for helping bring together scientists and experts dealing with uranium tailings.