Kyrgyzstan has suspended gold and copper production in the Andash Zone 1 mine through September after required environmental reports were not properly prepared.

A special Kyrgyz parliamentary committee recently disclosed that environmental reports submitted by the Kyrgyz-British Andash Mining Company were incomplete, resulting in the suspension of work.

At issue, according to officials, was the inability of company representatives to prepare an emergency plan to act in the event a toxic dumping ground near the Talas River if damaged or leaks.

The parliamentary committee was formed one month ago to address environmental concerns by the local population, which has requested the plant be shutdown.

Now, the company will be required to work with experts to study the site and prepare a complete environmental report for the parliament.

The Andash gold mining field has attracted over 70 million US dollars in investments since it opened in 2004.

Sources have told Ferghana.ru that speculation over suspension of mining focuses on influence by Kazakh communities living downstream on the Talas River who would be most affected in case of toxic leakage.

“Arguments that the local [Kyrgyz] population is concerned about pollution of the Talas River do not stand up to any criticism. None of the Kyrgyz villages are using water from the river, but, receive water from nearby springs,” one observer notes.

“It is the Kazakh villages that will be affected. But it is very strange that the Kazakh side does not stand up openly for the right to use trans-border water resources [but prefers tactic of lobbying],” the source commented.

Source: Ferghana.ru

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