Rosatom has successfully completed the reclamation of the Taboshar industrial site, situated near the town of Istiklol in the Sughd region of Tajikistan. The state corporation's press service has reported that the reclamation work was finished ahead of schedule.
The Russian team has successfully completed the reclamation of the waste dump at the impoverished uranium ores factory and four tailing ponds. Utilizing innovative engineering solutions, the height of the uranium sand dump has been reduced from 65 to 35 meters and covered with a layer of clean soil measuring one and a half meters in thickness. Monitoring data from the Agency for Chemical, Biological, Radiation, and Nuclear Safety of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan confirms that the radiation levels in the vicinity of the reclaimed facilities have returned to natural levels.
"All reclamation work has been completed in its entirety, and it was finished nearly five months ahead of schedule. We've developed innovative methods to safely address uranium legacy sites, accumulating invaluable experience in the process," Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General and Director of Rosatom's International Activities Unit, said.
Spassky also mentioned that Rosatom is currently in discussions with Tajik partners regarding potential projects in various fields, including nuclear medicine, uranium exploration and mining, rare and rare-earth metals, scientific research, and personnel training.
Tajikistan possesses previously active uranium deposits and several ore-processing mining and chemical plants. The Taboshar deposit, located near the town of Taboshar (now Istiklol), was discovered as early as 1925 and was one of the largest uranium deposits during the Soviet era. Active uranium mining took place there from 1944 to 1965. The most challenging issue in Istiklol is the open storage facility of the "poor ore factory," which contains a mound of regrind material intended for possible recycling. This waste has been exposed to wind and water erosion for several decades.
Since 2021, JSC TVEL has served as the primary organization for addressing nuclear legacy elimination, managing spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, and decommissioning nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities in CIS member states.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Rosatom
Based on materials from TASS