Vital Waste Graphics

RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Thus jokes Oleg, the leader of an NGO in Central Asia when he plans field trips through the region. In fact, this is almost not a joke considering that the area is home to many radio- active dumps. This specific type of waste, inherited from the Soviet era, poses serious management problem, recog- nized both by governments and international organizations. For example, around the Fergana Valley, in a region prone to landslides, radioactive tailing ponds have the potential to flow into rivers and contaminate the drinking water of millions of people. Radioactive waste exits in many other areas – dumped in the Barents Sea, or simply abandoned in forests and fields all over the territory of Georgia.

What is radioactive waste? Radioactive waste is any material that contains a concentration of radionuclides greater than those deemed safe by na- tional authorities, and for which no use is foreseen. Because of the wide variety of nuclear applications, the amounts, types and even physical forms of radioactive waste vary considerably – some waste remain radioactive for hundreds or thou- sands of years, while others may require storage for only a short period, while they decay, prior to conventional disposal. (In- ternational Atomic Energy Agency).

Radioactive, chemical and biological waste in Central Asia

Kiziliar (Petropavlosk)

RUSSIA

Kustanau

KAZSABTON (former Tselinny Mining and Chemical Combine)

RUSSIA

Makinsk

T o b o l

Volga

PAVLODAR

Oral

I s h y m

Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Kurchatov

KASPUTIN YAR

U r a l

Astana

LIRA (Burlinskiy)

I r t y s h

Aktobe

UST- KAMENOGORSK

STEPNOGORSK

R

R

Karagandy

AZGYR

SEMIPALATINSK- KURCHATOV TEST SITE

Zaisan

Atyrau

LAKE BALKHASH

KAZAKHSTAN

VOZROZHDENIJE PENINSULA

Tyuratam

Say-Utes

AKTAU MANGYSHLAK ATOMIC ENERGY COMBINE (MAEK)

S y r - D a ri a

Kzyl-Orda

SAY-UTES TEST SITE

ARAL SEA

(Closed)

STEPNOYE

ALATAU INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS

OTAR ALMATY

MINING DIRECTORATE No. 6

KASKOR JSC (former Prikaspiyskiy Mining and Metallurgy Combine)

TSENTRALNOYE

KARA- BALTA

R

KARAKALPAKSTAN

AK-TUZ

NUKUS

AZERBAIJAN

Bishkek

KADZHI-SAY

UCH-KUDUC

MIN-KUSH

SHEKAFTAR TEREK-SAY

Dashoguz Urgench

ULUGBEK

KYRGYZSTAN

Turkmenbashi

R

UZBEKISTAN

Tashkent CHARKASSAR

A m u - D a r i a

MAILU-SUU

Osh

Navoy

CHINA

TURKMENISTAN

CASPIAN SEA

TEO-MOYUN

Bukhara

FERGHANA

KHAIDARKAN

ZAFARABAD

NURABAD

Turkmenabad

Ashgabad

VOSTOKREDMET (CHKALOVSK) AND TABOSHAR

R

Mary

Dushanbe

TAJIKISTAN

IRAN

Former nuclear test site with possible remaining radioactive wastes

PAKISTAN

AFGHANISTAN

0

200

400

600 km

Nuclear power plant

Uranium mining and milling facility. Radioactive waste related to exploitation Chemical and biological research center or production plants being dismantled

Radioactive waste storage site generally poorly maintained, and alleged to pose a significant risk to health and environment Old radioactive waste site (early 20th century)

Active Power reactor

Closed

Research reactor Active

Non-radioactive waste site (mercury, antimony)

Fuel production

Closed

R

R