Old Wells: Not Radioactive, No Eruptions

«The wells drilled during geological exploration by crew No. 89 in 1988-1989 on the territory of Dobrovolnoye Uranium Deposit in the Zverinogolovsky District of the Kurgan Region are not radioactive and do not erupt,» — this conclusion was made by a special commission following the studies.

The study was initiated by Nikolay Afanasyev, a resident of the Zverinogolovskoe village. Let us remind you that exploratory wells were drilled in Zverinogolovsky District to study Dobrovolnoye Uranium Deposit in 1988-1989. They were suspended in 1993. Nikolay Afanasyev, and subsequently other activists calling themselves «ecologists» and «social activists», argued that the old wells are radioactive and self-erupting, which allegedly could lead to the «spread of radioactive groundwater throughout Siberia to the Arctic Ocean». Such allegations were refuted by the commission findings. The commission comprised representatives of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kurgan Region, Dalur, JSC (subsidiary of ARMZ Uranium Holding Co./Mining Division of ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation), the Uralnedra Department of Geology and Licensing in the Kurgan Region, National People’s Front, Administration of Zverinogolovsky District, deputies of Zverinogolovsky District Duma, and Environmental Inspector of the Kurgan Region. The commission findings were presented to the media at a press conference in the Government of the Kurgan Region by the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the Region Andrey Sarkisov, the Head of Kurgannedra Vladimir Trefilov and the Director General of Dalur, JSC Nikolay Poponin.

Andrey Sarkisov told that the commission examined the wellheads of production and hydrogeological wells and adjacent locations of sumps drilled at Dobrovolnoye Uranium Deposit by exploration crew No. 89 in 1988-1989, and also searched for drilling sites and wellheads of prospecting and exploratory wells drilled and liquidated via liquidation plugging in 1987-1993. As a result, it has been established that: «The condition of wellheads of production wells (T-1, T-2 and T-3) and hydrogeological wells (Г-5, Г-9, Г-10 and Г-11) does not cause danger, the land plots have been reclaimed, the gamma radiation power indicators measured at the wellheads of the above-mentioned wells are within normal limits... Due to reliable liquidation plugging of prospecting and exploratory wells, reclamation of their drilling sites in 1987-1993, currently there are no signs of wellheads and sumps in Dobrovolnoye Uranium Deposit area. The natural background radiation in the studied territory does not exceed 0.10 µSv/h».

In fact, the findings of this study completely repeat the results of the well condition inspection performed in December 1992. The wells did not self-erupt and were not «radioactive» either in July 2019 or 27 years ago. «Once again all the absurdity of the statements made by a group of people opposing Dobrovolnoye Deposit development has been proved,» — noted Nikolay Poponin. He also reminded that Dalur, JSC received the right to use a subsoil plot of federal importance (Dobrovolnoye Deposit in Zverinogolovsky District) on the basis of Order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1131-р. The Federal Agency for Subsoil Use has granted the Company a license to use the subsoil plot.

The Head of Kurgannedra, Vladimir Trefilov, added that during the work of the commission, Nikolay Afanasyev was informed about the possibility of enacting cl. 2 of Article 16 of the Federal Law «On the procedure for consideration of appeals by citizens of the Russian Federation». It reads as follows: «In case of the deliberately false information provided by a citizen in his appeal, expenses borne by a state authority... in connection with the appeal’s consideration can be recovered from this citizen by a court decision». Vladimir Trefilov recommended the so-called «anti-uranium activists» to «turn the common sense on and stop their anti-state activities».