A Strategic Master Plan published last week is set to help accelerate remediation efforts at former uranium mines in Central Asia. With the necessary funding, the highest-priority sites can be remediated in just a few years.
The new plan, developed under the leadership of the IAEA in cooperation with experts from the region and international organizations, provides a framework for carrying out remediation activities in a timely, coordinated, cost-effective and sustainable manner. Building on European Union-funded environmental impact assessments and feasibility studies and studies completed by Rosatom, the plan defines hotspots and remediation priorities in the region. It also provides risk assessment and cost estimates.
The uranium mining legacy sites are located in the Ferghana Valley area, home to 14 million people and one of the most fertile and densely populated areas in Central Asia. Its Syr Darya River is one of the principal rivers in the region. Among the aims of the projects highlighted in Strategic Master Plan is the promotion of regional cooperation and contribution to greater stability and security in the region.
The document identifies seven former uranium production sites in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as highest priority for remediation (see map). About €130 million is still needed to finance the remediation, in addition to €30 million already raised. The European Commission is planning a high-level pledging conference for late 2018 to attract contributions to the Environmental Remediation Account. This account, managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, will be used to fund remediation activities at the seven sites.