The last nuclear test conducted at the Semipalatinsk Test Site occurred in November 1989 at Balapan, marking the final chapter of nuclear testing in the area.1Peter Stegnar and Tony Wrixon, “Semipalatinsk Revisited,” IAEA Bulletin, April 1998, www.iaea.org. Link. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan gained independence and became the custodian of the site. President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan officially closed the Semipalatinsk test range on August 29, 1991.2“The Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan,” IAEA, 20 June 2013, iaea.org.
At present, the Semipalatinsk Test Site facilities fall under the jurisdiction of the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This center now engages in civilian activities and endeavors to repurpose the site for non-defense purposes, reflecting the country’s commitment to peaceful pursuits and the cessation of nuclear testing.3“STS History,” National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 12 February 2014, www.nnc.kz.
