Mailuu-Suu
Mailuu-Suu
Майлуу-Суу
Official seal of Mailuu-Suu
Seal
Mailuu-Suu is located in Kyrgyzstan
Mailuu-Suu
Mailuu-Suu
Location in Kyrgyzstan
Coordinates: 41°14′45″N72°26′53″E / 41.2457479°N 72.448039°E / 41.2457479; 72.448039
CountryKyrgyzstan
RegionJalal-Abad Region
City Status1946
Area
 • Total
120 km2 (46 sq mi)
Elevation
1,300 m (4,300 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
25,892
 • Density220/km2 (560/sq mi)
Postal code
721100
Area code(+996) 3744

Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyz: Майлуу-Суу, Russian: Майли-СайMayli-Say)[1] is a mining town in the Jalal-Abad Region of southern Kyrgyzstan. It is a city of regional significance, and is not part of any particular 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 Mailuu-Suu mined and processed more than 10,000 short tons (9,100 t) of uranium ore for the Soviet nuclear program.[5][6] By the early 1990s, uranium markets were facing hardships due to low demand and oversupply, and much of the uranium deposits in Mailuu-Suu had been depleted.[7] These factors left much of the local population without meaningful work.[8] The town was classified as one of the Soviet government's secret cities, officially known only as "Mailbox 200".[9] Mailuu-Suu consists of the town proper, the urban-type settlementKök-Tash and the villages Sary-Bee, Kögoy and Kara-Jygach.[2]

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
197022,963—    
197927,424+1.99%
198932,422+1.69%
199923,008−3.37%
200922,853−0.07%
202125,892+1.05%
Note: resident population; Sources:[3][4]

Uranium mills

View of Mailuu-Suu uranium tailing sites, 2010

Uranium was initially found in the area in 1933, and in 1946, the uranium deposit opened.[10] By the early 1950s, Mailuu-Suu had produced 10,000 tonnes of uranium oxide.[11]

The USSR left 23 unstable uraniumtailings pits on the tectonically unstable hillside above the town.[12] Unsecured uranium tailings on unstable slopes near Mailuu-Suu pose major health and environmental risks due to landslide threats.[13] Radioactive waste on the Mailuu-Suu River also endangers the environment and population of the Fergana Valley.[14] The site's heavily polluted rivers and farmland severely affects the health and economy of communities in both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.[15] A breached tailings dam in April 1958 released 600,000 cubic metres (21,000,000 cu ft) of radioactive tailings into the river Mailuu-Suu.[16] 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.[17]

Mailuu-Suu is considered to be the most radioactive region in Central Asia,[18] and faces severe environmental challenges. Ranked by the Blacksmith Institute in 2006 as one of the 10 most polluted cities globally, its crisis stems from uranium waste left by decades of mining.[19] In 2014, the Institute reported that adolescents had elevated cancer rates and weakened immune systems.[20] The World Bank approved a US$5 million grant to reclaim the tailings pits in 2004,[17] and approved an additional $1 million grant for the project in 2011.[21] However, grave threats still persist.[22]

References

  1. ^Майли-Сай in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian) – via Great Scientific Library
  2. ^ ab"Classification system of territorial units of the Kyrgyz Republic" (in Kyrgyz). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. May 2021. p. 32.
  3. ^ ab"2009 population and housing census of the Kyrgyz Republic. Book III. Jalal-Abad Region"(PDF) (in Russian). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2010. pp. 13, 17.
  4. ^ ab"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.
  5. ^Djenchuraev, N. Current environmental issues associated with mining wastes in Kyrgyzstan. Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy of Central European University, Budapest, 1999.
  6. ^"Mailuu-Suu: Cleaning up Central Asia's toxic uranium legacy | Earth Journalism Network". earthjournalism.net. 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  7. ^Usov, Anton (2023-09-19). "Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia" European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  8. ^Trilling, David (May 26, 2009), "Kyrgyzstan: Radioactive Legacy Vexes Bishkek", EurasiaNet, archived from the original on February 3, 2013, retrieved December 12, 2012
  9. ^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.
  10. ^Egamberdieva, Dilfuza; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre; Li, Wen-Jun; Panosyan, Hovik, eds. (2021). Microbial communities and their interactions in the extreme environment. Microorganisms for sustainability. Singapore: Springer. p. 322. ISBN 978-981-16-3731-5.
  11. ^"Mailuu-Suu: Cleaning up Central Asia's toxic uranium legacy | Earth Journalism Network". earthjournalism.net. 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  12. ^"Uranium in OshKyrgyzstan | Mailuu-Suu Legacy Uranium Dumps". Blacksmithinstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  13. ^"Remediation of Kyrgyz uranium legacy site to start". World Nuclear News. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  14. ^Starr, S. Frederick, ed. (2015). Ferghana Valley: the heart of Central Asia. London New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-47065-6.
  15. ^"Mailuu-Suu: Cleaning up Central Asia's toxic uranium legacy | Earth Journalism Network". earthjournalism.net. 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  16. ^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.
  17. ^ abSarah MacGregor (2004-02-04). "Finding a solution for uranium waste in Kyrgyzstan - OSCE Centre in Bishkek". Osce.org. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  18. ^Afifi, Tamer; Jäger, Jill (2010). Environment, forced migration and social vulnerability. Berlin London: Springer. p. 241. ISBN 978-3-642-12416-7.
  19. ^"Missing Controller". Blacksmith Institute. Archived from the original on 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  20. ^Trilling, David (2015-08-03). "'Everyone associates the dumps with death': the Kyrgyz town built on nuclear waste". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  21. ^"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.
  22. ^"Uranium in Central Asia: Poisoned legacy". The Economist. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
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