Kyrgyzstan

Population: 5,146,281 (July 2005 est.)

Capital: Bishkek

Environmental Issues: water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices

Uranium Mining in Mailuu Suu

Mailuu Suu is a small town located in north western Kyrgysztan. It is nestled amongst beautiful mountain scenery and is home to one of Kyrgyzstan 's biggest environmental threats. The residents of Mailuu Suu live in a valley with uranium dumps and uranium tailing reservoirs situated on and around the river that feeds the township.

Throughout the Soviet period (1936 - 1991), the government operated the Izolit uranium processing plants. For many of the residents of Mailuu Suu, this time is recalled as a period of abundance and prosperity. However, the legacy of this time is approximately two million cubic metres of radioactive waste, dispersed throughout a number of surrounding uranium tailing reservoirs and radioactive dumps.

The mining works and geological location of Mailuu Suu expose it to landslides each spring. As the snow melts and water is fed into the Mailuu River the surrounding soil becomes unstable and places the population at risk to uranium waste landslides. In one major incident during 1958, an estimated 6,000 cubic metres of uranium waste was released in a landslide. Due to the lack of maintenance, the uranium waste sites are becoming increasingly unstable; placing the local population and the downstream populations in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan at great risk.

Today, on the river banks, there are visual signs of uranium leaching to the surface. These are the sites where children play and local cattle graze. The majority of the residents of Mailuu Suu are worried about the risk they are continually exposed to, even though malignant cancers, anemia and birth defects are twice as high as the rest of the Kyrgyz population.

	Tordubek Tashmamatov
	Tordubek used to play hide and seek in the long grasses of the surrounding mountains. He remembers when the Soviets arrived and began mining for uranium. His main worry about living with the uranium waste is that landslides will expose the waste and that the local food supply will be contaminated.
	Rosia Toktogulova
	Rosia lives upstream from the uranium waste, but is concerned about the health impacts for those living in exposed areas; especially the long term impacts. She recalls the Soviet times as good times, when everyone had food and jobs.
	Tanya Sarancha
	Before migrating to Mailuu Suu, Tanya's brother-in-law wrote and described the town as ‘a dream'. She has fond memories of Mailuu Suu, as while many people in the Soviet Union were suffering the consequences of war, the residents of Mailuu Suu had food and good jobs thanks to the uranium mine. Today she is concerned about the lack of knowledge regarding the management of the waste sites and the health risks to the local population.
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