• Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved the lifting of a ban on uranium mining, raising concerns among activists about environmental issues.
The Kyrgyz parliament decided to resume uranium mining after five years of stopping mining, and activists fear a catastrophe as a result. In early June, the Kyrgyz parliament (Jogorku Kenesh) approved a government bill to lift the ban on uranium and thorium mining since 2019. The new rules will come into force when President Sadyr Japarov signs the law, which is expected to be signed soon.
• The resumption of uranium mining may boost the economy, but the environmental catastrophe and insecurity it poses are worrying.
The government pushed for the resumption of mining, saying uranium production could provide a much-needed injection of funds into the Kyrgyz economy, which has struggled to overcome the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic and Russian sanctions. Zhaparov said the resumption of mining could provide the state with $2 billion in revenue.
While viewing mining as an economic imperative, the country's leadership has pledged to use new technologies in the development of the deposit to safeguard operations and maintain "strict environmental standards". Since the ban came into effect, there are many proven uranium deposits in Kyrgyzstan that have not been mined. Some of the largest deposits are located in environmentally sensitive areas, including the area near Lake Issyk-Kul, which is considered the "pearl of Kyrgyzstan" by the general public.
• Environmentalists warn that uranium mining could exacerbate existing environmental problems and could lead to serious ecological damage.
The prospect of operating a nuclear reactor in an earthquake-prone country is unsettling for many. In addition to the threat posed by natural disasters, Kyrgyzstan's efforts to curb the mining of precious metals, including gold and uranium, have had negative consequences and has a poor track record as another major concern. After all, it was the protests against the pollution that led the government to halt uranium mining in 2019.
In May, some Kyrgyz activists called on the environment ministry, warning that the resumption of uranium mining could exacerbate already existing environmental problems. They mention that uranium mining is profitable up to $2 billion, but no one says the cost of restoring the destroyed land.
According to a report published by Reuters in April, the reservoir where the large uranium mine is located is accommodated by an unstable dam. In 2017, these dams suffered significant damage due to landslides. Reuters reported that perhaps the next landslide or earthquake would cause these structures to fail, and "a nuclear catastrophe on the scale of Chernobyl could occur." Toxic waste can spread into river networks that supply irrigation water for farmland in Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
#吉尔吉斯斯坦##铀矿##环境#
文章来源：Kyrgyz Parliament Lifts Ban on Uranium Mining | OilPrice.com
Translated and edited by China International Energy Public Opinion Center