[Translation prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

Aktobe eco-activists have reported chromium contamination of water and soil, 23 November 2023

In Aktobe, increased content of harmful substances in soil and water was detected on the territory of the industrial zone, where waste from the local ferroalloy plant had been located before. According to the public, despite the fact that the site has been cleared, the situation has not improved, reports Liter.kzwith link to "31 channel".

Eco-activists Akmaral Kusanova and Aina Abylkasimova are sure that the site in the industrial zone has hexavalent chromium - the water in this area is yellow-green in colour, and the soil is black. They sent to a laboratory a sample of liquid taken from pits in the area where the local ferroalloy plant had previously stored bags of company waste. According to activists, hexavalent chromium as a dangerous carcinogen causes oncology and other serious diseases.