On October 16-18 with the participation of Association “Nuclear Community of Kazakhstan” representatives of nongovernmental ecological organizations made a trip to industrial facilities of JSC Kazatomprom.

The delegation was represented by: Eco-center (Karaganda), Ecomuseum (Karaganda), Institute of Ecology and Stable Development of Kazakhstan (Almaty), Eastern Kazakhstani Department of Kazakhstani Society of Nature Protection (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Biosphere Ecological Club (Ridder), Ecological press-center (Almaty), Ecological Courier newspaper. The itinerary included visit to Eastern Mynkuduk uranium-production mine (Kyzemshek settlement, South Kazakhstan region) and nuclear reactor BN-350 (Aktau, Mangistau region).

The aim of the trip was to acquaint ecological society with a high safety level of modern way of uranium production by in-situ leaching method and change existing perception of uranium production as dangerous for environment.

During the tour to Eastern Mynkuduk mine, the ecologists were demonstrated a production cycle using in-situ leaching method, laboratories, store of ready production. Specialists from the Mining Complex answered questions on monitoring of air space, soil, underground waters, environmental protection and radiation and contamination control. They marked that according to existing radiation safety norms (RSN-99) of the Republic of Kazakhstan, effective doze for employees, working with sources of ionizing radiation shall not be more that 20 m Sv per annum. Over a period of company’s activity there were no cases of exceeding of allowable radiation doze level by employees. Actually, in 2004 91%of employees of the company’s enterprises got radiation doze up to 5 mSv per year, what is equal to the natural background radiation level. Measurement of individual radiation doze of employees is made every quarter. In case of implementation of a non-standard works, employees are given additional individual radiation survey meter, indications of which are fixed upon completion of non-standard activity.

Moreover, NGO representatives visited social facilities of Kyzemshek working settlement – hospital, kindergarten, medical center under construction and cultural sport complex. Next year it is planned to open cinema, sport gym, bowling center, billiard and etc. in the cultural sport complex. All these construction plans are included in the social program on improvement of living level of Kazatomprom employees and attraction of new cadres to production facilities of the company.

Planting of trees, annually held in every working settlement of the company, was confined to the ecological tour. Thus, ecologists made their contribution to landscaping of uranium mining regions.

After a trip to mines the delegation visited MAEK-Kazatomprom LLP in Aktau, where it got acquainted with decommissioning of nuclear reactor BN-350, implemented in accordance with High-priority Activities Plans. NGO representatives visited the central hall and nuclear reactor control unit, saw assembling of unique technical equipment for transferring liquid natrium from the first circle of reactor into alkali with further reprocessing of the latter into geocement stone.

Notice:

National Atomic Company “Kazatomprom” is a national operator of the Republic of Kazakhstan for import and export of uranium and other double-use materials. 100% of shares of the company are owned by the state in the person of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazatomprom is a Holding company with the following six main activities:   geological exploration, production of uranium, metallurgy, power industry, scientific issues and training of skilled manpower for enterprises of the industry and social maintenance. Today over 20,000 people are employed in the company. The company takes the third place among leading uranium-producing companies of the world.

MAEK-Kazatomprom LLP is a 100% subsidiary enterprise of the national company Kazatomprom. It is a united power- water- and heat-producing complex including heat power plants, multi-effect distillatory desalting plants and fast neutron reactor BN-350. Main strategic task of MAEK-Kazatomprom is to provide the populated locations and industrial enterprises of Mangistau region with electric power, reserve electric power for Atyrau region, provide Atyrau city with electricity, drinking, hot and technical water and also supply distillate to the industrial enterprises.

The technology for production of electric power and heat used by Mangistau Atomic Power Plant is unique as it is not based on sweet water requiring minimal treatment but on desalted sea water.