Environmental Impact Assessment

The impact of uranium mining and milling on the environment and in particular on water resources is an important issue nowadays. In my doctoral dissertation the environmental impact of radionuclides and toxic trace elements were assessed at the Kadji-Sai uranium tailing site which is located at the south coast of Issyk-Kul Lake. A proper institutional monitoring and control system at this tailing site does not exist. So that hydro-geochemical methods were used to investigate surface-, ground- and lake-water in the vicinity of the uranium treatment plant as well as using advanced methods coal ash from tailing dumps and sediments from the valley and lake shore were analyzed. Also erosion issues on tailing dump were analyzed using the time series of PAN SPOT images (resolution 2.5 m) for 2003-2005-2007. The geologic structure of the tailing site were digitized, mapped and described.
Simulation of a hydrological model of the Issyk-Kul Lake was done. Surface runoff, evapotranspiration and water balance were calculated. The hypothesis was proposed which was the major causes and time for an accumulation of natural uranium concentration in the Issyk-Kul Lake.