Prime Minister orders to suspend works at Issyk-Kul uranium site amid growing protests

AKIPRESS.COM - Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan ordered to suspend works at the Kyzyl-Ompul uranium site amid growing protests in Kyrgyzstan.
During the government meeting to discuss this matter, PM said he ordered to create an interdepartmental commission to look into the impact of development of uranium on people and environment. All decisions on the uranium deposit should be made only taking into account the results of the work of this commission, he noted.
"The company working on the uranium deposit received permission to carry out geological exploration at the site in 2010 and in 2013, it received a second license," PM said.
If the activities at the uranium site will be found to be dangerous for the health of people and environment, the deposit development must be cancelled, he said. "That's the government's position," he noted. "There should be no politics when it comes to people's health and environmental safety."
He noted that uranium is not produced at the site and will not be produced until the end of the commission's study.
Geological exploration of the Kyzul-Ompol uranium site is being conducted since 2010. It is located Kochkor district of Naryn region and Ton district of Issyk-Kul region. UrAsia in Kyrgyzstan owns a license for doing so until 31 Dec 2020.
On 27 March 2019, Kara-Balta Mining Plant and Economy Polimers Ru LLC signed a cooperation agreement worth $30 million during the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kyrgyzstan. The money will be used to modernize the existing plant and develop uranium deposits in Issyk-Kul.
Kara-Balta Mining Plant will process the uranium ore from Kyzyl-Ompol site. The uranium tailings will be buried in the decommissioned tailing storage near the village of Marmara, Sokuluk district.
Locals protest against the development of uranium since December last year.