Mayak-57

MAYAK-57

THE FORGOTTEN NUCLEAR ACCIDENT

(Russia 2013)

What happened in Mayak is one of the most serious ecological disasters caused by man, but it has been forgotten too quickly.

It was the first major nuclear accident and caused radioactive contamination 20 times that of Chernobyl. Mayak nuclear plant is situated in the Urals in the Chelyabinsk region, about 1,500 kilometres from Moscow. It was built in 1948 to create the plutonium needed to build the first soviet atom bomb. The story of Mayak is rather complicated: there were in fact three main accidents.

The first one happened between 1949 and 1952, when the Mayak plant poured all the radioactive waste into the river Techa, obviously including highly radioactive waste. None of the scientists, physicists or doctors worried about the health of the local population, they were only concerned with meeting the government objectives. The closest village, Metlino, was only 7 km from Mayak, on the river Techa. In 1950 the population started to become ill with cancer and there was an increase in the instances of genetic malformation. 70% of the population suffered from Leukaemia. Only at this point did the scientists decide to evacuate and destroy all the villages in the area. Between 1951 and 1961 twenty-five villages on the river Techa were evacuated and destroyed.

The situation convinced the management of the plant to stop dumping highly radioactive waste into the river, and decided to store it in large underground containers, although they kept pouring the medium and low-level radioactive waste into the river, with no concern for the local population. Many NGOs claim that they still do, considering that the radioactivity has not decreased, as it should have done. The total amount of radioactive waste poured into the Techa over the years by the Mayak nuclear plant is estimated to be 500 million cubic meters. During the first period of activity the nuclear plant did not have any filters, so that many radioactive elements were released directly into the air, including Iodine 131. The people living near the plant were exposed to a high doses of radioactive Iodine, and the people from Kysthym and Novogorny, the most contaminated areas, still suffer from a significantly higher percentage of thyroid cancer compared to the rest of Russia.

The second accident happened on the 29th September 1957: an underground radioactive liquid waste tank exploded when the cooling system failed. A population of 270 thousand people and a total surface area of 23 thousand square kilometres were contaminated with plutonium and strontium. The area of radioactive pollution is now called EURT (East Ural Radioactive Trace).

The third accident happened in 1967. The Karachay Lake, near the Mayak nuclear plant, had been used constantly for dumping radioactive waste. In 1967, following a hot summer and a drought, the edge of the Karachay Lake dried up. A violent storm carried radioactive dust from the lakebed and spread it to contaminate an area of 2,200km and about 400 thousand people. No one was evacuated. After the incident the authorities decided to cover the lakebed with cement blocks and soil, and the operations are still on-going.

All this, together with other minor incidents, the irresponsible dumping of nuclear waste in inappropriate areas, and the daily operations of the nuclear-chemical plant in Mayak, has contaminated an area of 400 square kilometres.

The grave environmental contamination of this region has brought about a 78% increase in the cases of leukaemia and cancer over the past 53 years. 30% of children are born with genetic defects and malformations, neurological disorders or heart diseases. 50% of men and women are infertile. According to estimates by various NGOs radioactivity has contaminated a total of one million people.

More than 60 years have gone by and the nuclear plant in Mayak is still open. The people who live in the contaminated areas are absorbing plutonium, caesium, and strontium into their bodies while the plant keeps dumping radioactive material into the river Techa.

What remains of the evacuated village of Muslyumovo. Muslyumovo is one of the most contaminated villages along the Techa River and it was evacuated only in 2006

Timotey is 12 years old and suffers from infantile cerebral paralysis. Kysthym

Check Point of the nuclear Mayak complex forbidden zone

Child playing in the contaminated village of Karabolka

Vladislav is a refugee who comes from Armenia, he is hosted in the home of Gilani Dumbaev. Evacuated and contaminated village of Muslyumovo

Nadezdha Kutepova during the consignment to Karabolka residents of the certificates that confirm oficially that they are living in contaminated areas. Karabolka

Gilani Dumbaev in the evacuated and contaminated village of Muslyumovo where he lives. The signs warn: exclusion zone, forbidden to enter. He comes from Chechnya and lives for 20 years in old Muslyumovo, on the banks of the Techa River.

Cabim Ahkmadiejev Aratavich, is 17 years old and suffers from mental retardation. Village of New Muslyumovo

Children in the contaminated village of Karabolka

Yuri Mihailavic Romashovo, a victim of the Techa River and Lake Karachai accidents, while showing his certificate of radiation victim, at his home in Kysthym

The sign warns: detection point for the contamination. Road to Lake Karachay, Novogorny

The city of Kysthym has a population of 40 000 inhabitants.It has a concentration of cesium-137 twice over the limit. Kysthym

Tanzila Abdrahimova victim of the 1957 accident. Kysthym

Inside the hospital of Brodokalmak the hospital of Brodokalmak is one of the last remaining on the contaminated lands, but the authorities want to close it.

Contaminated lake used to discharge plutonium from the nuclear power plant. The sign warns: forbidden area, forbidden access. near Novogorny

Yuri Mihailavic Romashovo, a victim of the Techa River and Lake Karachai accidents, at his home in Kysthym, together with Galina Ustinova, the president of the NGO Kysthym 57.

Russian secret service, FSB, while controlling the congress in the Karabolka theater in favor of the victims of nuclear accident. Karabolka

Nadezhda Soboleva victim of the river Techa, Brodokalmak.

Gosman Kabirov, antinuclear activist, next to a radiation sign along the Techa River, evacuated and contaminated village of Muslyumovo

Dr. Rustam Mukhamedyarov at the hospital in Russkaya Techa, while showing the poor conditions of the entire property

Nadezdha Kutepova, president of the NGO "The Planet of Hopes", is a lawyer who defends Mayak victims. Orthodox Church, Kysthym

Nadezdha Kutepova during the trial in Kysthym, defending Lubov Pylchova and her daugthers, victims of the 1957 nuclear accident

A restaurant along the road that leads to the contaminated and evacuated lands. Kasli

Galina Ustinova, the president of the NGO Kysthym 57. Kysthym.

The secret City of Ozersk. Today the city is still a closed city, anyone can enter except the residents and the workers of the Mayak nuclear power plant.

Along the road that leads to the contaminated and evacuated lands. Kasli

Raissa Nizamova, with her family, she is a victim of the 1957 accident, Karabolka

village of Yugokonyovo. This village is located in an area called EURT (East Ural Radioactive Trace) contaminated by the 1957 accident. This village was evacuated in 1958, demolished and buried forever.

Valentina Rodina, Milana's grandmother while showing her certificate of radiation victim. Kysthym

Novogorny is a city of about ten thousand inhabitants, four miles from Lake Karachay, it was heavily affected by the 1967 accident

Marina and her daughter Milana who has the Angleman syndrome, a genetic disease. Kysthym