CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH MINING

1,88

MB

WASTES IN KYRGYZSTAN

100

stron

5949

ID

Central European University

2003

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION . 2

1.1. SCOPE OF THE THESIS 4

2. METHODOLOGY 6

3. INFORMATION ABOUT THE MINING INDUSTRY IN KYRGYZSTAN. 9

3.1. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT KYRGYZSTAN . 9

3.2. THE MINING INDUSTRY IN KYRGYZSTAN. 12

3.2.1. Mining and economics . 14

3.3. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION IN KYRGYZSTAN 15

4. MINING ACTIVITY AND RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS INKYRGYZSTAN 18

4.1. ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS RELATED TO MINING IN GENERAL . 18

4.1.1. Land erosion 20

4.1.2. Air pollution 20

4.1.3. Water pollution . 20

4.2. HARD-ROCK MINING WASTES IN KYRGYZSTAN . 21

4.2.1. Health risks associated with heavy metals. 34

4.2.2. Specific risks of uranium mining wastes. 36

4.2.3. Occurrence and toxicity of selected pollutants from the mining industry40

4.3. CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDS INFLUENCING MINING WASTES. 45

4.3.1. Anthropogenic hazards 46

4.3.2. Natural hazards 47

4.4. ACCIDENTS INVOLVING TAILINGS IN THE MINING INDUSTRY . 52

4.4.1. Accidents world-wide . 52

4.4.2. Accidents in Kyrgyzstan . 54

5. RANKING THE MINING SITES ACCORDING TO RISK LEVELS . 56

5.1. INFORMATION FROM SEC GEOPRIBOR . 57

5.2. INFORMATION FROM MEP AND MES 59

5.3. INFORMATION FROM NEAP . 60

5.4. RANKING RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC HAZARDS. 64

5.4.1. Anthropogenic risks 64

5.4.2. Geologic hazards . 68

5.4.3. Cumulative levels of risk associated with natural and anthropogenic hazards 76

5.5. RISK LEVELS AND PRIORITY OF MINING SITES IN KYRGYZSTAN. 77

6. POLITICAL RISKS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACCIDENTS AT MINING HOTSPOTS . 80

7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 83

8. LIST OF REFERENCES 87

APPENDICES