The FBRK editorial team continues to examine the mineral extraction sites identified by journalist Kirill Pavlov along the Ishim River. In the previous part we reported on a company linked to former Astana maslikhat deputy Gabit Satmagambetov, which is extracting sand in close proximity to the water protection zone of the river. This time, new extraction sites have come to our attention, raising questions about compliance with environmental legislation.
During the investigation, we discovered four large sites where crushed stone – another in-demand construction material – is being extracted. Companies operating in this industry appear to be seeking to optimise their logistics by extracting construction materials in close proximity to construction sites.
However, it should be noted that according to the Water Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, there are restrictions within water protection zones on activities that could lead to pollution or changes to the hydrological regime of water bodies. For small rivers up to 200 kilometres long, a water protection zone of 500 metres from the shoreline is stipulated, with a specially protected water protection strip of at least 35 metres in width.
Analysis of satellite imagery shows that the nearest extraction points are located at a distance of approximately 30 metres from the bank. The total area of the extraction territory amounts to roughly 800,000 square metres. Such a scale inevitably raises concerns about potential environmental impact.
As it turned out, all four sites have been under long-term lease by Nefrit Gold LLP since August 2011. The sites are categorised as lands for industrial, transport, communications and other non-agricultural purposes. Their designated use is defined as "carrying out exploration followed by extraction of gravelly and sandy soils".
Let us return to the company itself. Nefrit Gold LLP has been on the market for over 15 years – since October 2009. The company's director and founder is Vladimir Ivanchenko, who also manages a number of other enterprises. Under his control are, among others, Lazurit – D LLP and Demontoit LLP, specialising in construction equipment rental, as well as Gorny Khrustal – VA LLP, Sarybiik LLP and Granulit LLP, engaged in the development of gravel and sand quarries.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the company's first director – Igor Lekarev – is also actively involved in entrepreneurial activity within the same industry. Some of his companies are registered in Russia: Nefrit Omsk LLP in Omsk and the liquidated Tasma-Khrom CJSC in Kazan, pointing to the cross-border nature of the business.
According to data from the kompra.kz service, Nefrit Gold is characterised by stable financial performance. Since its foundation, the company has paid over 2.2 billion tenge in taxes, which, incidentally, significantly exceeds the amounts paid by the company featured in the first part of our investigation.
Of particular interest are the permit documents, likely obtained by the company several years ago. In 2023, Nefrit Gold LLP received permission to extract sedimentary rocks at the Yeltok deposit, located 50 km south-east of Astana and 2 km south-east of the village of Volgodonovka. The permit was supposed to be issued for a period until 27 May 2036, with a total development area of 700.63 hectares, of which 45 hectares were planned for active extraction.
According to the screening conclusion on the impacts of the planned activity, extraction involves dust generation and emissions of various substances, including nitrogen oxides, iron oxides, sulphur dioxide and carbon compounds. Production is also accompanied by waste generation, such as scrap metal, tyres, motor oil and batteries. The total gross emission of harmful substances was estimated at 235.41 tonnes/year, of which 14.39 tonnes/year is attributable to road transport. A significant factor is that the Yeltok deposit, like the sites in question in our investigation, is located within a water protection zone – in this case, of the Yesil River.
At that time, the Ministry of Ecology established a number of requirements for carrying out the activity, including the mandatory conduct of an environmental impact assessment, determination of the impact on groundwater and coordination with competent authorities, clarification of the water supply source, provision of detailed data on wastewater disposal, etc. In July 2023, the company even held public hearings on this matter, promising to observe the boundaries of the water protection strip.
But let us return once more to the sites under consideration. Nefrit Gold LLP shares the land-use rights over one of them with Nefrit-SV LLP. This company has been on the market for 23 years – since January 2002. The first director and founder of the company is Bakai Mambetaliev. An interesting fact: Bakai Mambetaliev also heads the company Busan LLC, which is engaged in the hotel business. The company was registered in 2019 in the Russian village of Koryakovo, Kaluga Oblast. Additionally, Mr Mambetaliev appears to be a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, where he was once actively engaged in entrepreneurial activity. In 2017, he was even included in the list of candidates recommended for enrolment in postgraduate studies at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry in the field of "Jurisprudence" – a list that pertained exclusively to citizens of Kyrgyzstan.
Nefrit-SV LLP, under the leadership of Mr Mambetaliev, is engaged in the development of gravel and sand quarries. Notably, as of today, this organisation is recognised as inactive, which raises a legitimate question: what entity actually controls the exploitation of these lands? And is this 'division of responsibility' not an attempt to blur the lines of control over compliance with environmental standards?
We also note that Nefrit-SV LLP is among the founders of the republican association of legal entities, the "Union of Producers and Exporters of Kazakhstan". The association has existed for over 22 years – since January 2003. Its director since 2004 is listed as Nikolai Radostovets. Incidentally, he is also the executive director of the association of legal entities, the "Republican Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises", which unites over 100 enterprises in the country's mining and metallurgical sector.
Analysing the situation surrounding mineral extraction near the Ishim River, one cannot ignore the international aspect of this business. For instance, the citizenship of Bakai Mambetaliev, director of Nefrit-SV LLP, raises serious questions about the cross-border nature of the use of Kazakhstan's natural resources. In the context of protecting the country's water resources, a legitimate question arises: how effectively can national legislation regulate the activities of enterprises whose directors and, possibly, main economic interests lie outside Kazakhstan?
The map of mineral extraction along the Ishim River is rapidly expanding, and with it grow the risks to the fragile ecosystem of this water artery. The construction boom in the capital region creates increased demand for sand and crushed stone, yet the price of economic gain should not be measured by lost natural equilibrium and polluted waters.
The FBRK editorial team once again appeals to the chairman of the Land Resources Management Committee, Murat Temirzhanov, with a request to look into the identified facts and consider the issue of conducting an inspection of the compliance of current activities at these sites with legal requirements.
In the next part of our investigation, we will continue to examine other mineral extraction points along the Ishim River and find out which other companies may be involved in this activity.