Tailings Storage Facility "Berkut" in the city of Orlovka

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42° 42’12” N; 75° 35’10” E
Name of the facility: Tailings Storage of the Orlovsky Chemical and Metallurgical Plant
Ownership (owner) of the facility: Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic
Location of the facility: valley of the Berkut River
Region: Chui
Geographic coordinates of the facility or settlement:
Elevation (m): 1446
Period of operation and conservation: 1969-1994

Current technical condition of the facility: unsatisfactory, surface not reclaimed, integrity of the waterproofing of the basin is compromised.

Characteristics of the facility: tailings storage of the gully-beam type
Volume of waste (thousand m3): 3200
Area (thousand m2): no data

Type and kinds of waste: tailings from the processing and enrichment of rare earth concentrate from the Ak-Tyuz enrichment plant.
Chemical composition of waste: no data.

Prospects for secondary processing: not feasible for ecological and economic reasons
Impact of waste on the environment and population: contamination of groundwater and surface water
Radiation characteristics (Exposure dose rate (EDR) of gamma radiation at the surface, radon, activity, etc.): EDR = 200 – 300 µR/hour.

Vulnerability of the facility to hazardous natural processes and disasters: threat of flooding and mudflows, erosion

Seismicity of the area: 8 points

Transboundary impact of the facility: limited
Recommendations for ensuring safety and/or rehabilitation of the facility: comprehensive reclamation of the tailings storage, monitoring of the facility and the surrounding environment.