The Nuclear Landscape as a Garden 47
specialists. To tackle the task, an extensive research plan was drawn up as early as
1989. L.A. Kochetkov (FEI) to V.L Levitin (MAEK), On Preparations for Decommissioning the BN-350, November 30, 1989, GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 1289, l. 5–6.
141. Iksanov et al. “Development of Devices,” 253. The US Department of Energy
(DOE) and the European Union’s Programme of Technical Assistance to the CIS
countries (TACIS) have acted as the main sponsors. GAMO, f 506, op. 1, d. 1452.
142. Literally translated as “Uranium-Mine-Liquidation.”
143. Tatambaev, Nasledie, 199–200. The pilot project consisted of the conservation and
restoration of a single mine at the Zhidelinskoe deposit, located far from Mangyshlak. Zhunussova et al., Threat, 31.
144. Serikov, “Budem vyzhivat’.”
145. Rucevska/Simonett, Caspian Graphics, 49–51.
146. Serikov, “Budem vyzhivat’.”
147. Demko, “Chernaia Past’.”
148. A simple sand and gravel cover to stop wind erosion from the dried-up shores of
the reservoir (40 km 2 ) would cost hundreds of millions of USD and still do nothing
to improve the groundwater situation, Ibid. Note, for reasons of comparison, that
remediation of the environmental damage caused by the Wismut uranium mining
enterprise in the former GDR was put at 15 billion German Mark in West German
estimates in 1989. To date, approximately 7 billion Euro have been spent on the
project. See
149. Natalia Melnikova/Alexander Bedel/Evgenii Artemov, “Russia. Short Country
Report,” July 2018,
150. The authors of the project expected revenues of 30–40 billion USD over a time span
of 30 years. Tatambaev, Nasledie, 155–156; Margarita Sevcik, “Kazakhstan’s Proposal
to Initiate Commercial Imports of Radioactive Waste,” in: Nuclear Threat Initiative,
January 1, 2003,
under consideration as the central storage site for Kazakhstan’s domestic nuclear
waste, an estimated 237 million tonnes with a total activity of 15.5 million Ci.
“Burial of Foreign Waste,” in: Nuclear Engineering International, June 3, 2002,
[ January
3.2022].
151. Aleksandr Tonkopriadchenko, “V Aktau obezvrezhena upravliaemaia termoiadernaia bomba,” in: Informbiuro.kz, October 13, 2015,
152. Konstantin Maskaev, “Vokrug Iadra,” in: Novoe Pokolenie, October 10, 2011,
[ January 3, 2022].
The unsatisfactory solution to the problem consisted in returning the metal to
the unguarded territory of the hydrometallurgical plant, where it had probably
come from in the first place. Tat’iana Kazantseva, “Prestuplenie bez nakazaniia,”
in: Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, September 20, 2005,
153. Tatambaev, Nasledie, 184.
154. Ibid., 186.
155. “Rosatom Expo,” mobile application for iOS, 2012 [no longer available].
156. Vitalii Sal’nik, “Net istochnikov energii? Novaia AES plyvet k vam,” in: Pravda,
July 1, 2010,
2022].
157. Sergei Leskov, “Malaia energetika v poiskakh shturmana. Atomnye reaktory
nakanune dal’nykh stranstvii,” in: Izvestiia, November 29, 2003, 3.
specialists. To tackle the task, an extensive research plan was drawn up as early as
1989. L.A. Kochetkov (FEI) to V.L Levitin (MAEK), On Preparations for Decommissioning the BN-350, November 30, 1989, GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 1289, l. 5–6.
141. Iksanov et al. “Development of Devices,” 253. The US Department of Energy
(DOE) and the European Union’s Programme of Technical Assistance to the CIS
countries (TACIS) have acted as the main sponsors. GAMO, f 506, op. 1, d. 1452.
142. Literally translated as “Uranium-Mine-Liquidation.”
143. Tatambaev, Nasledie, 199–200. The pilot project consisted of the conservation and
restoration of a single mine at the Zhidelinskoe deposit, located far from Mangyshlak. Zhunussova et al., Threat, 31.
144. Serikov, “Budem vyzhivat’.”
145. Rucevska/Simonett, Caspian Graphics, 49–51.
146. Serikov, “Budem vyzhivat’.”
147. Demko, “Chernaia Past’.”
148. A simple sand and gravel cover to stop wind erosion from the dried-up shores of
the reservoir (40 km 2 ) would cost hundreds of millions of USD and still do nothing
to improve the groundwater situation, Ibid. Note, for reasons of comparison, that
remediation of the environmental damage caused by the Wismut uranium mining
enterprise in the former GDR was put at 15 billion German Mark in West German
estimates in 1989. To date, approximately 7 billion Euro have been spent on the
project. See
149. Natalia Melnikova/Alexander Bedel/Evgenii Artemov, “Russia. Short Country
Report,” July 2018,
150. The authors of the project expected revenues of 30–40 billion USD over a time span
of 30 years. Tatambaev, Nasledie, 155–156; Margarita Sevcik, “Kazakhstan’s Proposal
to Initiate Commercial Imports of Radioactive Waste,” in: Nuclear Threat Initiative,
January 1, 2003,
under consideration as the central storage site for Kazakhstan’s domestic nuclear
waste, an estimated 237 million tonnes with a total activity of 15.5 million Ci.
“Burial of Foreign Waste,” in: Nuclear Engineering International, June 3, 2002,
[ January
3.2022].
151. Aleksandr Tonkopriadchenko, “V Aktau obezvrezhena upravliaemaia termoiadernaia bomba,” in: Informbiuro.kz, October 13, 2015,
152. Konstantin Maskaev, “Vokrug Iadra,” in: Novoe Pokolenie, October 10, 2011,
The unsatisfactory solution to the problem consisted in returning the metal to
the unguarded territory of the hydrometallurgical plant, where it had probably
come from in the first place. Tat’iana Kazantseva, “Prestuplenie bez nakazaniia,”
in: Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, September 20, 2005,
153. Tatambaev, Nasledie, 184.
154. Ibid., 186.
155. “Rosatom Expo,” mobile application for iOS, 2012 [no longer available].
156. Vitalii Sal’nik, “Net istochnikov energii? Novaia AES plyvet k vam,” in: Pravda,
July 1, 2010,
2022].
157. Sergei Leskov, “Malaia energetika v poiskakh shturmana. Atomnye reaktory
nakanune dal’nykh stranstvii,” in: Izvestiia, November 29, 2003, 3.