Press Release: Radiation Situation at Kazatomprom Affilliated Companies

In the course of 2001, facilities of NAC 'Kazatomprom' kept on the work on the assurance of the requirements for radiation safety effective rules, sanitary rules and environmental measures. In accordance with measurements at the mines of the Company, the radiation doses did not exceed the natural ionizing radioactive background, no radiation accident has happened. For the expired year the expenses for NAC 'Kazatomptom' ecological and environmental activity for the operating facilities consisted 31,31 mln tenge.

The Company's radiation safety and environmental services carry out systematic control of gamma-radiation dose rate, levels of surface alpha-contamination, equilibrium activity concentration of radon in air not only at the working places and territories of the facilities, but in the buffer areas and the industrial communities. Besides, the Mining Group #6 along with local authorities carries out the nearby communities monitoring in Shiely area of Kzylordinskaia oblast.

In the year 2001 the volume of works in the branches of the Company composed:

• external gamma-radiation dose rate at the working places – 31,444 measurements;
• on the facilities territory – 26,717 measurements;
• in the buffer area – 6,894 measurements;
• in the industrial communities – 3,894 measurements;
• level of equipment surface, transportation means, overalls radioactive contamination – 128,179 measurements;
• radon concentrations in air – 945 measurements.

At all listed sites doses of radiation did not exceed the dose limits prescribed by radiation safety.

NAC 'Kazatomprom' carries out the whole mining activity in the south region of Kazakhstan (South Kazakhstanskaia and Kyzylordinskaia oblasts) by means of Centralnoye, Stepnoye Mining Groups and Mining Group #6 with application of the progressive method – in-situ leaching. Numerous observations confirmed that this method is ecologically safe. Uranium is being mined from deep horizons isolated from artesian potable water aquifers without direct participation of personnel.

Public Relations Service of NAC Kazatomprom
April 1st, 2002