Mayluu-Suu (Kyrgyz: Майлуу-Суу, Russian: Майли-Сай Mayli-Say)[1] is a mining town in the Jalal-Abad Region of southern Kyrgyzstan. It is a city of regional significance, not part of a district.[2] Its area is 120 square kilometres (46 sq mi),[3] and its resident population was 25,892 in 2021.[4] It has been economically depressed since the fall of the Soviet Union. From 1946 to 1968 the Zapadnyi Mining and Chemical Combine in Mayluu-Suu mined and processed more than 10,000 short tons (9,100 t) of uranium ore for the Soviet nuclear program.[5] Uranium mining and processing is no longer economical, leaving much of the local population of about 20,000 without meaningful work.[6] The town was classified as one of the Soviet government's secret cities, officially known only as "Mailbox 200".[7] Mayluu-Suu consists of the town proper, the urban-type settlement Kök-Tash and the villages Sary-Bee, Kögoy and Kara-Jygach.[2]
Mayluu-Suu
Майлуу-Суу | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
  Mayluu-Suu Location in Kyrgyzstan | |
| Coordinates: 41°14′45″N 72°26′53″E / 41.2457479°N 72.448039°E | |
| Country |  Kyrgyzstan |
| Region | Jalal-Abad Region |
| City Status | 1946 |
| Area | |
• Total | 120 km2 (50 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,300 m (4,300 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
• Total | 25,892 |
| • Density | 220/km2 (560/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 721100 |
| Area code | (+996) 3744 |
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 22,963 | — |
| 1979 | 27,424 | +1.99% |
| 1989 | 32,422 | +1.69% |
| 1999 | 23,008 | −3.37% |
| 2009 | 22,853 | −0.07% |
| 2021 | 25,892 | +1.05% |
| Note: resident population; Sources:[3][4] | ||
Uranium mills
editThe USSR left 23 unstable uranium tailings pits on the tectonically unstable hillside above the town.[8] A breached tailings dam in April 1958 released 600,000 cubic metres (21,000,000 cu ft) of radioactive tailings into the river Mayluu-Suu.[9] In 1994, a landslide blocked the river, which flowed over its banks and flooded another waste reservoir. A flood caused by a mudslide nearly submerged a tailings pit in 2002.[10] Mayluu-Suu was found to be one of the 10 most polluted sites in the world in a study published in 2006 by the Blacksmith Institute.[11]
The World Bank approved a US$5 million grant to reclaim the tailings pits in 2004,[10] and approved an additional $1 million grant for the project in 2011.[12] However, grave threats still persist.[13]
References
edit- ^ Майли-Сай in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian) – via Great Scientific Library
- ^ a b "Classification system of territorial units of the Kyrgyz Republic" (in Kyrgyz). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. May 2021. p. 32.
- ^ a b "2009 population and housing census of the Kyrgyz Republic: Jalal-Abad Region" (PDF) (in Russian). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2010. pp. 13, 17.
- ^ a b "Population of regions, districts, towns, urban-type settlements, rural communities and villages of Kyrgyz Republic" (XLS) (in Russian). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
- ^ Djenchuraev, N. Current environmental issues associated with mining wastes in Kyrgyzstan. Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy of Central European University, Budapest, 1999.
- ^ Trilling, David (May 26, 2009), "Kyrgyzstan: Radioactive Legacy Vexes Bishkek", EurasiaNet, archived from the original on February 3, 2013, retrieved December 12, 2012
- ^ Afifi, Tamer; Jäger, Jill, eds. (5 August 2010). Environment, Forced Migration and Social Vulnerability. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 241. ISBN 9783642124167. Retrieved 30 December 2017 – via books.google.com.
- ^ "Uranium in OshKyrgyzstan | Mailuu-Suu Legacy Uranium Dumps". Blacksmithinstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
- ^ Birsen, N.; Kadyrzhanov, Kairat K. (6 December 2012). Environmental Protection Against Radioactive Pollution: Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Environmental Protection Against Radioactive Pollution Almati, Kazakhstan 16–19 September 2002. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 59. ISBN 9789400709751. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- ^ a b Sarah MacGregor (2004-02-04). "Finding a solution for uranium waste in Kyrgyzstan - OSCE Centre in Bishkek". Osce.org. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
- ^ "Missing Controller". Blacksmith Institute. Archived from the original on 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
- ^ "News & Broadcast - 28, 000 Inhabitants of Mailuu-Suu Valey [sic] in the Kyrgyz Republic to Benefit from Improved and Safer Access on the Road to Villages". Web.worldbank.org. 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
- ^ "Uranium in Central Asia: Poisoned legacy". The Economist. Retrieved 10 July 2015.