NewsFloods in Russia raise fears as uranium deposits, and waste sites inundate

Floods in Russia raise fears as uranium deposits, and waste sites inundate

The flood in Russia might lead to radioactive contamination.

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8 May 2024 08:05

The recent flood in the southern Ural region of Russia has raised concerns due to the flooding of old uranium deposits and industrial waste storage sites. Ecologists fear that the dissolved uranium could have made its way into the Tobol River, posing a potential threat to residents.

The floods have impacted various areas in Russia, leading to potential environmental and health hazards. Notably, the overflow of water in the Kurgan region and near Orenburg inundated uranium deposits and sites for storing industrial waste, heightening concerns.

The environmental group "Earth Touches Everyone" reported that on April 8, water breached a protective dam in Novotroitsk, where a reservoir containing industrial waste with high heavy metal concentrations is located, posing a severe risk to the ecosystem.

In the Kurgan region, the floodwaters covered parts of the uranium deposits in Dobrovolsky, managed by Dalur, a subsidiary of the nuclear firm Rosatom.

Andrey Ozharovsky, a nuclear physicist and expert with the Russian Socio-Ecological Union, spoke to the French radio RFI's Russian-language edition about the situation. He explained that while the company had recently conducted new drillings, the flood also affected old wells that leak substances spontaneously. These older wells present a significant contamination risk. Ozharovsky stated that it's difficult to determine the volume of radioactive substances that have entered the Tobol River.

He mentioned, "The concentrations [of radioactive substances] will never exceed permissible limits because the river is large, but it's uncertain if the water treatment facilities in the city of Kurgan can handle this."

Ecologists have alerted that the dissolved uranium and its decay products may have entered the river, posing a serious risk to those dependent on it for drinking water. Although the Tobol River has diluted the radioactive contamination, the transferred substances could still harm health and the environment.

Despite these concerns, Rosatom issued an official statement on April 20, claiming that its operations were unaffected by the flood. The company assured us that the uranium fields were not impacted, as they were far from the river and on elevated ground. Rosatom dismissed them as "targeted misinformation, " following reports of uranium deposit flooding." Nonetheless, ecologists remain worried about the potential for radioactive contamination.