Green Alliance of Kyrgyzstan opposes construction of a nuclear power plant in the country. Representatives of the association of legal entities sent a corresponding letter to the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision.
The authors remind that recently the Ministry of Energy signed an agreement with Rosatom on a feasibility study for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kyrgyzstan.
«Although it is emphasized that this is a low-power nuclear power plant, it is well known that even small sources of atomic energy and a small amount of radioactive substances can have a negative impact on both the environment and human health,» the letter says.
The Green Alliance notes that in 2019 a government decree on the prohibition of activities related to geological exploration, development of uranium and thorium deposits in the Kyrgyz Republic was adopted.
«The question arises: where will radioactive raw materials for nuclear power plants come from? The aforementioned decree states that «import of raw materials containing uranium and thorium and waste into the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic is not allowed. Thus, based on this resolution, the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant no longer has a legislative basis for construction,» the authors add.
One more moment. President Sadyr Japarov, by his decree, declared 2022 the Year of Kyrgyzstan’s Mountain Ecosystems and Climate Resilience.
«Mountain ecosystems make up the majority of the country’s territory, and the main features of a mountain ecosystem are its vulnerability and sensitivity to external influences. The construction of a nuclear power plant in a fragile, vulnerable mountainous ecosystem carries additional risks and adverse consequences for its integrity and sustainability,» the letter says.
The seismic hazard of the territory of Kyrgyzstan, as well as the fact that nuclear power plants require a large amount of fresh water, should be taken into account. Additionally, there will be a problem of nuclear waste disposal. The letter also mentions the effect of radioactive substances on the human body.
«We urge the Cabinet of Ministers not to follow the slippery path of building a nuclear power plant in the republic, which carries many risks for both nature and public health, but to use the great potential of renewable energy sources,» Green Alliance of Kyrgyzstan added.
