The town of Mailuu Suu has been recognized by world experts including Blacksmith Institute as one of the top ten radioactively contaminated areas of the world.There is more than 25 000 residents estimated in Mailuu Suu daily exposed to the dangerous level of radiation from the radioactive waste dumps collected around the town. The first range of the soviet atomic bombs has been developed using Mailuu Suu uranium in 1940-1950's. Jetigen.org requested an interview with one of the Blacksmith Institute coordinators in the former soviet block,Vladimir Kuznetsov who manages field operations in Mailuu Suu.

Ryskeldi Satke- What's the history of Blacksmith project "Mailuu Suu" in Kyrgyzstan?

Vladimir Kuznetsov - The problem of Mailuu-Suu region has been partially (along with the other regions) raised in our first micro-project in 2007 which identified contamination of water supply source in the Mailuu Suu.

The practical result of the previous project in this area contributed to the cessation of illegal excavation of contaminated waste parts for evolving purpose of metal trade business with chinese smugglers (fencing the terraces, implementation of new rules on the metal export for the customs, clarifying activities).

The application for this project was submitted in March 2008, processed twice, and approved in June 2008.

R.S.- What's the current assessment of situation with radioactive dumps in Mailuu Suu ?

V.K. - Radioactive tailings and small terraces (that contain pulp with a high percentage of non-complete raised uranium due to outdated technologies of 1950-60s) continue to pose a risk as massive inrush and infiltration through the primitively designed tailings bed (contaminating groundwater and surface water further to the water pipeline system). Increased frequency of landslides and earthquakes for the last 5 years and rising groundwater level resulted further contamination. Storehouses (waste sites) 3 and 7 are the most dangerous inrush spots along with a threat from landslide called Tectonic.

R.S.- How often Balcksmith institute monitors Mailuu Suu project?

V.K. - Immediately after Project plan approval the committee comprising a representative of Blacksmith Institute in CIS (Former Soviet Republics) V. Kuznetsov, a representative of Green Cross Eyuema Bidemi and Project Coordinator I. Hadzhamberdiev made a trip to inspect working conditions on the ground (in Osh and Mailuu-Suu) in July 2009.

I receive detailed reports on Mailuu Suu quarterly.
Inspection tour to the area is scheduled in June-July 2009.

R.S.- Besides Blacksmith there are  OSCE and IMF research projects in Kyrgyzstan. Does Blacksmith interact with them on Mailuu Suu and what impact these both have on improving the situation?

V.K. - Unfortunately, all three groups have been working in Mailuu-Suu (World Bank, OSCE, Blacksmith Institute) on their own time frame and with different environmental proposals. There is no agreed-upon cooperation as well as no OSCE regional office in Mayluu Suu.

R.S.- Various world and kyrgyz media outlets report that there is a dangerous outcome possibility with contaminating areas beyond kyrgyz border which are Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in case if radioactive dumps find its way into the Naryn river. Is there any action by the Kyrgyz Government on securing waste dumps in Mailuu Suu?

V.K. - Inrush is possible into the Mailuu-Suu river and poses a risk to local population of the Fegrana Valley.

An attempt to speed up the concerted actions of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan occurred in 2003 when agreement was signed between two but there was no real activity with co-financing from Uzbekistan. The relations of two states are quite complex ( disputes with water resources and boundary territories).The relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (permanent frontier disputes) are even worse. It is unlikely that solution at the government level would be created in the near future between above states (although it is possible between groups of independent experts and NGOs).

The Government of Kyrgyzstan is making separate efforts for prevention (destruction) of landslides (supported by a grant of Germany, 2006), partial stabilization of the shores of the river Mailuu-Suu, reburial of small piles to the tailing-storehouse number 6, a partial reburial from storehouse 3 to 6, and construction of the mud dams along the river (with support of the World Bank 2006-2009).

R.S.- The World Bank reports 6,9 million USD provided to Kyrgyzstan in 2004 but UNDP roughly estimates 42 million USD needed in order to stabilize waste sites especially in Mailuu Suu. What's Blacksmith estimate and what measures should be taken for effective funds use in Kyrgyzstan?

V.K. - UNDP supported several geology studies also in the region of Mailuu-Suu in 1997-2003. Three research works were published (authors are Torgoev, Aleshin, Moldobaeva and others).
Our project aims at health protection of vulnerable population.

At the same time, current members of Blacksmith Institute Project 2008-09 (Hadzhamberdiev, Tuhvatshin, Damuladzhanov) participated as independent consultants at the round table discussion of the World Bank Project (2005 seminar in Mailuu-Suu and in Bishkek, 2007). World Bank has't been concentrated on human health issues in the region. We have noted rejection by independent experts of the Research Institute of Geology on river banks stabilization .
The coordinative actions required from all foundations on these problems.

R.S.- Blacksmith institute reports Mailuu Suu town residents have been exposed to dangerous levels of radioactive pollution for quite along time. NPR radio reported a shocking number of cases with cancer,birth defects,food and water contamination.
As report goes there are 25 000 residents in Mailuu Suu. Is there any progress in minimizing the population exposure?

V.K. - 1945-1968 miners undergone irradiation ( 7 miners remain ) and workers of the processing plant (84 known cases), and second generation of permanent residents - approximately 5 thousand people. The first generation of children - about 3 thousand (for 1990-2008 number of residents in the city has changed by half due to migration) exposed to other sources of radiation. Thus the sources of exposure now are different than before while plant has been working. Composition of residents differs as well.

Data on cancer growth in Mailuu Suu had been repeated by various authors over the years.Particular research has been done in the 1970-80's and published by Oncology Research Institute of the Kyrgyz Republic in the 1990's. Data for level of uranium in surface waters vary greatly from one author to another (perhaps because of the complex conditions of water and variable infiltration). Modern sources of population exposure are measured in our research work as:

a) the content of uranium in tap water, vegetables and meat products;

b) the emanation of radon in indoor;

c) inside-rooms level of exposure from the walls.

According to latest findings of human ecology, daily radiation is targeting immune system, genetic apparatus and thyroid gland. The effects are revealed in several types of diseases (varies different years so they are not recorded by official statistics); some cancer cases and development defects appear after 10-20 years and some number gets out with the next generations. Therefore, we analyzed illness rate of selected environmental districts and explored the fundamental indicators of human health (immunity and function of the thyroid gland).

Nominally there are 22 thousand residents in Mailuu Suu but the actual number is 16 thousand inhabitants and about 5 thousand in the villages down the valley.
Blakcsmith efforts to minimize radiation exposure within the framework of our project:

1)the full registration of exposure sources (via drinking water, radon emanation – radon is a radioactive gas occasionally penetrating from underground structures and from the walls of native stone);

2)dimension of modern basic markers of health among children (cellular and protein immunity, the stability of membrane structures, function of the thyroid gland, the indicators of genomic material damage);

3)prevention - installation of double water filters for school water pipeline, special protective plaster in schools and private houses, the resettlement of some individuals, water pipes repair.

R.S.- Does Blacksmith have a perminent working group or office in Kyrgyzstan? and how the Kyrgyz Government agencies are cooperating with institute? Is it effective?

V.K. - In fact, the function of representative office fulfills a group of project executors.
The project is closely linked to the structures of the Kyrgyz Republic (Medical Academy Department of Pathological Physiology and Central Research Institute laboratory, and the Scientific Council of Health Ministry – chairman of the Council is Prof. R. Tuhvatshin) and of Mailuu-Suu: Center of Sanitary-and-epidimiologica l inspectors (Director Mambetov), City Department of Education ( M. Karasheva), Territorial Hospital (Chief Physician J. Kenzhebaev, Head of Laboratory N. Shaydullina).

 Ryskeldi Satke

 http://en.jetigen.org/artic le/2009/11/06/jetigenorg-bl acksmith-institute-represen tative-vladimir-kuznetsovma iluu-suu