Environmental activists in Kyrgyzstan have raised concerns after the parliament approved an end to a five-year prohibition on uranium mining. The Jogorku Kenesh approved a government bill in early June that removes the ban on uranium and thorium mining. The legislation is set to take effect after President Sadyr Japarov signs it, which is expected soon.
Parliamentary decision and government economic rationale
The Kyrgyz government said restarting uranium extraction could strengthen the economy during a period of disruption linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and sanctions on Russia. President Japarov cited a potential $2 billion windfall from uranium production. He also said the state should continue work that provides economic benefit and aim, over the next 10 years, to reach the level of neighboring countries.
Alongside the economic argument, officials said new technologies would be used and strict environmental standards would be applied to safeguard operations. Environmentalists said these assurances have not addressed their concerns about impacts on ecologically sensitive areas. They pointed in particular to regions near Lake Issyk-Kul, described as having national and ecological importance.
Nuclear energy plans tied to mining policy
The removal of the mining ban has been described as a step toward developing nuclear power in Kyrgyzstan by some observers. Government officials have been exploring construction of a reactor with support from the Russian state-run entity Rosatom. They have indicated interest in a small modular reactor (SMR) designed to supply power for about one million people.
Officials connected the reactor discussions to electricity generation challenges associated with global warming and climate change. Kyrgyzstan’s power system relies heavily on hydropower, and climate-related impacts have affected electricity production. The government’s nuclear planning is therefore linked in its statements to changes affecting hydropower output.
Mining risks, contamination history, and recent incident
Environmentalists said they are concerned about the prospect of nuclear infrastructure in a country exposed to earthquakes and with a history of difficulties managing mining-related environmental impacts. They cited past contamination that contributed to a 2019 moratorium. In May, activists warned the Ministry of Environment that resuming uranium mining could worsen existing environmental problems, while questioning the real cost of promised economic benefits.
Concerns intensified after an incident involving Rosatom equipment on June 1. A Rosatom truck used in uranium tailings cleanup operations crashed into a river in the Dzhumgal district of Naryn Region. Officials said the truck was empty, but social media footage suggested black sludge entered the river, contradicting official statements.
Tailings reservoirs and potential downstream impacts
A Reuters report from April described reservoirs holding large volumes of uranium tailings as being supported by dams considered unstable. The dams were damaged by landslides in 2017, according to the report. It warned that additional landslides or earthquakes could lead to dam failure and release toxic waste into river systems.
The report said those river systems irrigate agricultural areas in the Ferghana Valley, affecting Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It compared possible consequences to a “Chernobyl-scale nuclear disaster.”