Russia and the Eurasian Republics

16.2 People and Their Environment

I. Nuclear Energy

A. Uranium

1. NW of Black Sea & Tian Shan Mts.

B. 1986 – Soviets building 18 nuclear power plants

C. Chernobyl Disaster

1. April 26, 1986 1:30am

a) explosion in reactor

b) 30 fires

c) radioactive particles in air

2. Soviet government covered up

a) Sweden covered in radiation in 2 days

b) 100,000 locals exposed

D. Aftermath of Chernobyl

1. Cancer, blood disease, stomach disorders

2. Ukrainians - de-radiation each year

3.Town is buried

4. Belarus – est. 2 million victims

a) 70% of fallout

b) farmland unusable

c) govt. built new clinics to treat

Number 4 reactor today – encased in concrete

E. Nuclear Concerns

1. 1990 explosion at Ulba

a) nuclear fuel processing plant

b) released beryllium gas

c) 60,000 people demanded it closed.

2. Armenia

a) home to 2 nuke plants

b) many earthquakes

c) people protesting

3. Nuclear weapons

a)housed in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan

b) agreed to let Russia have control

c) Ukraine dismantled their weapons

d) Kazakhstan still has thousands of warheads

II. Water Problems

A. Shrinking Caspian Sea and Lake Sevan

1. Caspian Sea

a) landlocked between Russia, Kazakhstan, & Turkmenistan

b) Shrinking due to irrigation

c) dropped 8ft. between 1960 & 1970’s

2. Lake Sevan

a) NE Armenia

b) irrigation and hydroelectricity

c) dropped 20 meters

B. Pollution of Lake Baikal

1. S. edge of Siberian Plateau

2. industrial pollution

a) paper and pulp mill – toxic chems.

3. Farm waste and spillover

a) fertilizer and chems in sources of lake

4. 1980’s – appeal to govt. works

a) 1987 plant ordered to stop polluting

III. Pollution

A. Unregulated under

old Soviet system

1. Soft brown coal – soot everywhere

2. Moldova accepted toxic waste that didn’t meet international standards

3. Kazakhstan high infant mortality rate

4. Yerevan, Armenia one of most polluted cities

5. Banned pesticides still in use

Objectives Review

1. Explain the worst nuclear disaster in Russia and other concerns with nuclear energy.

2. What are some environmental problems affecting bodies of water in Russia and the Eurasian republics?

Objectives Review

3. Describe the effects of industrial and pesticide pollution in Russia and the Eurasian republics.

The End