EBRD sheds light on dealing with Soviet-era uranium mining sites in Uzbekistan
By Trend
The EBRD-allocated grant to the State Committee for Ecology and
Environmental Protection of Uzbekistan will help to start preparing
the necessary tender documentation for remediation works at
Yangiabad and Charkesar former uranium mining sites, the official
at European Bank of Reconstruction and Development told Trend.
On October 22, Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia
(ERA) and the government of Uzbekistan have signed a grant
agreement allowing to start preparations to completely put out
former uranium mining sites in Uzbekistan.
The 2-million euro grant will support a recently established
Project Management Unit (PMU), which will be dealing with the
environmental remediation of the former uranium mining sites at
Yangiabad and Charkesar, located in the mountains east of the Uzbek
capital Tashkent.
Central Asia served as an important source of uranium in the former
Soviet Union. For example, located at an altitude of 1,300 metres
in an area with a high risk of seismic activity, and around 70 km
from Tashkent, Yangiabad was a uranium mining site for nearly 40
years. It is spread across a 50 km2 area and contains about 2.6
million m3 of radioactive waste.
Commenting on the question what Uzbek companies will take part in
the work, the official noted that at this stage it is impossible to
tell who the contractors will be, adding that the physical work on
the ground is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2022 and
will take approximately two years to complete.
"Both Yangiabad and Charkesar are former Soviet uranium mining
sites. In Yangiabad planned remediation work will include closing
four shafts, demolishing contaminated buildings and processing
facilities, relocating several waste rock dumps to a central
covered dump and other associated activities. In Charkesar planned
remediation work to include the closure of two shafts and the
demolition of abandoned buildings," the official said.
Previously, Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia
(ERA) and the government of Uzbekistan signed a grant agreement
allowing to start preparations to completely put out former uranium
mining sites in the country.
The EBRD has been managing nuclear safety and decommissioning funds
on behalf of the international community since 1992, when the G7
requested the creation of the Nuclear Safety Account to deal with
the legacy of Soviet-era nuclear facilities.
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