Russian environmentalists are raising concerns about the risk of a radioactive leak as floodwaters near a uranium mine in the Kurgan region, located in Russia's Ural mountains.
The Russian Urals region and nearby northern Kazakhstan are experiencing the most severe flooding in 80 years, triggered by heavy rainfall combined with rapidly melting snow due to unusually warm spring temperatures. Authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of residents from the Kurgan and Orenburg areas as floodwaters continue to rise.
Agentstvo, a Russian investigative site launched in 2021, reported on Sunday that the Dobrovolnoye uranium mine, located in the village of Ukrainskoye in Kurgan's Zverinogolovsky district, has been designated by local authorities as within the flood zone. According to NS Energy Business, the mine is estimated to contain about 7,077 tons of uranium, with a grade value ranging from 0.01 percent to 0.05 percent uranium.
Environmentalists who spoke with Agentstvo expressed concern that the nearby Tobol River could become contaminated with uranium if the floodwaters reach the mine.
Sergei Eremin is the head of regional environmental organization Foundation for Public Control Over the State of the Environment and the Well-Being of the Population. He said that a video filmed by a resident indicates that an old well "that had been leaking [uranium] for 35 years" could already be under water.
Andrei Ozharovsky, an expert with the Radioactive Waste Safety program of the Russian Social-Ecological Union, told the investigative site Agentstvo that a uranium leak from the Dobrovolnoye mine could raise the concentration of uranium salts in the Tobol River. This increase in contamination could potentially affect the drinking water supply for local residents.
Environmental activists in Kurgan have been urging authorities for years to ban uranium mining in the region, fearing that radioactive contamination could seep into groundwater and the Tobol River, according to Agentstvo. On April 17, local authorities informed Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti that the Tobol River's water level had risen by 123 centimeters (4 feet) in just 24 hours, surpassing the "dangerous level" mark. This rapid rise led to flooding in over 660 residential houses in Kurgan.
Kurgan governor Vadim Shumkov highlighted the severity of the situation on Telegram last week, declaring, "This isn't just a flood, it's a genuine threat!" He urged residents to move to safety, advising them to take children, elderly relatives, those with limited mobility, and neighbors to temporary shelters or friends' and acquaintances' homes. He also recommended gathering important documents and valuables as precautions against further flooding.
