“In the Kirovograd region, the situation at the uranium mines of the eastern mining and processing plant has become critical. Due to the shutdown of electricity, the enterprise stopped systems of ventilation and pumping of water, in particular at the Smolyn mine. According to the Miners’ union, the lower horizon of the mine is already flooded, and complete flooding is expected in the near future. This can lead to the release of radioactively contaminated water into groundwater that creates”, – WRITE ON: ua.news
In the Kirovograd region, the situation at the uranium mines of the eastern mining and processing plant has become critical.
Due to the shutdown of electricity, the enterprise stopped systems of ventilation and pumping of water, in particular at the Smolyn mine. According to the Miners’ union, the lower horizon of the mine is already flooded, and complete flooding is expected in the near future.
This can lead to the release of radioactively contaminated water into groundwater, which poses a real threat to environmental disaster for the whole region.
The East of the GOK is the only producer of uranium concentrate for nuclear energy in Ukraine, and its stable work is strategically important for the energy security of the state. At the same time, the company faces chronic financial problems, in particular through the debts of the main buyer – Energoatom.
Because of this, the mines have salaries, shortage of overalls and spare parts, as well as problems with energy supply. Disconnection of electricity threatens to stop the pump, which can lead to flooding of digging and entering radioactive water into aquifers.
Kirovograd region is a region where the uranium industry has been working for over 60 years, and uranium production has always been accompanied by environmental risks. However, the war and massive attacks of the Russian army on energy infrastructure increased these threats.
According to local activists, the mines were not properly preserved, which made them even more dangerous to the environment and human health.
In the region, one of the highest levels of cancer in Ukraine is recorded – in Kropyvnytskyi this figure is 472 cases per 100 thousand population.
In addition to radiation pollution, environmentalists pay attention to the problem of dust from the digging of the mines, which in windy weather is spread over long distances and enters the regional center. The dosimeters near the dumps fix the radiation level of 10 times higher than the norm.
At the same time, the level of radiation remains within the limits of the settlements, but the risks to the health of the population are retained.
We will remind, the mine from the production of coke coal near Pokrovsk stopped work due to the approach of Russian troops. Without coke, the work of Ukrainian metallurgy is impossible.
We also reported that Russian invaders are removing equipment from the Rodina mine. It is located in the Golden in Luhansk region.
