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Commission on International Religious Freedom: Country Brief - Kazakhstan
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following fact sheet:
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COUNTRY BRIEF: Kazakhstan
October 2026
The Kazakh government continues to consistently violate freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), primarily through its enforcement of a legal framework that regulates and restricts all religious activity in the country. Officials penalize those who practice their beliefs without authorization while from the state, particularly targeting independent Muslims also turning their attention to religious minorities, including Protestant Christians and
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following fact sheet:
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COUNTRY BRIEF: Kazakhstan
October 2026
The Kazakh government continues to consistently violate freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), primarily through its enforcement of a legal framework that regulates and restricts all religious activity in the country. Officials penalize those who practice their beliefs without authorization while from the state, particularly targeting independent Muslims also turning their attention to religious minorities, including Protestant Christians andChristian converts. Malign foreign governments have also increasingly influenced the Kazakh government to lodge criminal cases against individuals for their religious activities or FoRB advocacy.
This publication outlines recent FoRB developments in Kazakhstan, particularly highlighting recent developments in criminal and administrative cases that illustrate the government's systematic and ongoing religious freedom violations. In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State place Kazakhstan on its Special Watch List.
Background
Over 69 percent of Kazakhs adhere to Islam, with most members of that community identifying as Hanafi Sunni Muslims. Other Muslim groups in Kazakhstan include Shi'a and Ahmadiyya Muslims. Seventeen percent of the population identify as Christian, most of whom are Russian Orthodox but also include Catholics, Protestants, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Other religious groups in Kazakhstan include Jews, Baha'is, members of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, Buddhists, and Scientologists. A small percentage of individuals identify as atheist or prefer not to share their religious affiliation.
Legal Restrictions on FoRB
Although Article 22 of the constitution guarantees the right to freedom of conscience, the government does not uphold this article in practice, particularly as a result of its laws strictly regulating religion. For example, the 2011 Law on Religious Activities and Religious Associations, commonly referred to as the religion law, bans all unregistered religious activities. Among other provisions, it additionally requires official examination of all religious materials and places restrictions on religious education, proselytization, and religious events. Kazakhstan's 2005 Law on Countering Extremism vaguely defines the term "extremism," which readily provides a pretext for authorities to penalize religious activities that it deems as such, even if they do not incite or condone violence. Kazakh officials therefore have a broad legal basis, through these administrative and criminal frameworks, to target at will any individuals or groups for their religious activities.
Fining and Prosecution of Independent Islamic Activities and Expression
Kazakhstan's vague legal framework regulating religion permits authorities to arbitrarily target the activities of independent Muslims who deviate from the state's preferred interpretation of Sunni Islam. For example, Kazakh officials have continued to actively enforce a June 2025 ban on face coverings in public under the law On Prevention of Crimes, with no exception for religious garb. Its passage followed a campaign of rhetoric from the government and quasi-independent Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Kazakhstan dismissing religious face coverings, implicitly referring to the fullface niqab that some Muslim women choose to wear as a "foreign trend." In May 2026, the government announced that police have issued administrative penalties against nearly 1,200 people for wearing clothes that "impede facial recognition in public" per the ban. Religious face coverings likely represented a significant majority of those cases, although the announcement did not provide corroborating details.
Amendments to the Administrative Code grant authorities the option to issue a warning instead of a fine for first-time violators of the religion law under Article 490 and to then impose the fine following a second violation within a year. In April 2026, after Islamic preacher Daryn Mubarov handed out religious materials in Astana without authorization twice within one year, officials fined him 865,000 Kazakh tenge ($1,815 USD)-- equivalent to almost twice the average monthly income in Kazakhstan. Also, the Almaty Department of Religious Affairs fined blogger Nurzhan Smagulov under the same article for comparing people to cows in a religious context. In addition to targeting Muslims, officials also continue to issue Jehovah's Witnesses administrative penalties for their religious expression, such as publicly discussing their religious beliefs.
Kazakh authorities also repress religious activities and expression by regularly enforcing Article 174 of the Penal Code, which effectively serves as the country's blasphemy law by penalizing what it vaguely refers to as "incitement of religious hatred." For example, in March, Ministry of Internal Affairs officials arrested a blogger and opened a criminal investigation under this article for his online religious expression. He had reportedly claimed that Nowruz, both a religious and secular holiday celebrated across Central Asia, is neither Kazakh nor Muslim and therefore forbidden for Muslims to observe.
Targeting of Unregistered Christian Groups
Some Christian communities operate without registration in Kazakhstan because officials refuse their applications or the registration requirement violates their beliefs resulting in police raids of religious services of such communities. For example, in Semey, police raided Sunday services in May 2026. Officials claimed the congregants were violating the law by gathering without authorization and filed charges against 15 church members and the pastor.
Targeted Groups
Kazakhstan shares significant borders with Russia and China, both of which have successfully encouraged or pressured Kazakh officials to act against religious groups, dissidents, or advocates--and those officials have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to comply. In terms of Russian influence, the Kazakh government leaves no space for Orthodox Christians to practice their faith outside of the Russian Orthodox Church, which the religion law's preamble recognizes for its "historical role"--cementing the institution as a state-favored religion. Regarding China's influence, a court in Taldykorgan convicted 19 individuals from the Atajurt Human Rights Organization in April on charges of inciting discord, having detained them last year in relation to their religious freedom advocacy on behalf of Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims facing genocide and ongoing atrocities in China. The court sentenced 11 of them to five years in prison and eight others to terms of restricted freedom. The court further banned all 19 defendants from engaging in public or political activities for three years, and the Almaty Regional Court upheld the original verdict upon appeal. Criminal proceedings came following a diplomatic note from the Chinese consulate in Almaty.
In another concerning development, Kazakh authorities have shifted their attention to the convicted protestors' families in an effort to stifle their potential for drawing international attention to this case. For example, police detained the wives of two of the Atajurt protestors in May to prevent them from speaking about their husbands' cases to U.S. Embassy personnel in Astana. In July, Kazakh authorities detained and opened a criminal investigation against Batikha Bilaishi, the sister of Serikzhan Bilash who founded Atajurt but has since fled to the United States for his safety. Bilaishi reportedly has had no involvement in the work of Atajurt, contributing to the likelihood that her detention represents an effort on the part of the Kazakh government to silence her brother's FoRB and human rights advocacy from abroad.
FoRB Victims
Authorities continue to detain and imprison individuals for exercising their freedom of religion or belief, including religious leaders, members of religious communities, and advocates for religious freedom. In many cases, individuals face arrest, prolonged detention, imprisonment, or other forms of state persecution for peacefully practicing their religion, expressing their beliefs, or advocating for the rights of others. USCIRF's Frank R. Wolf Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List documents many of those individuals. Among others in Kazakhstan, Anatoli Zernichenko is serving a seven-year sentence for allegedly promoting terrorism under Penal Code Article 256.2 for his peaceful, online religious activities.
International Accountability
In March, the United Nations special rapporteurs on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and FoRB wrote a joint communication to the Kazakh government about Yakov Vorontsov's case. They expressed concern about his arrest, the violation of his right to FoRB, and the denial of his religious community's registration attempts. In an official response in June, Kazakh officials maintained that the government respects FoRB and denied any connection between the criminal proceedings against Vorontsov and his religious activities or advocacy for Ukraine.
Conclusion
The Kazakh government continues to engage in severe FoRB violations to control the religious space, penalizing independent religious expression, online activities, and religious freedom advocacy. The broad laws that regulate and restrict the country's religious affairs provide officials with a readily accessible pretext to arbitrarily penalize religious activities and advocacy for virtually any reason--including at the behest of autocratic neighbors such as Russia and China. Thus, Kazakhs who seek to independently practice their religion or belief, particularly members of the country's significant Sunni Muslim majority, often face substantial legal challenges resulting in fines, detentions, and prison sentences.
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/2026%20Kazakhstan%20Country%20Brief.pdf
SBA Relief Still Available to Mescalero Apache Tribe Businesses, Nonprofits, Affected by Adverse Weather
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Relief Still Available to Mescalero Apache Tribe Businesses, Nonprofits, Affected by Adverse Weather
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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding eligible Mescalero Apache Tribe small businesses and private nonprofit organizations of the Nov. 23 deadline to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, flooding, and landslides occurring June 23 - Aug. 5, 2025.
The disaster declaration includes
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Relief Still Available to Mescalero Apache Tribe Businesses, Nonprofits, Affected by Adverse Weather
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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding eligible Mescalero Apache Tribe small businesses and private nonprofit organizations of the Nov. 23 deadline to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, flooding, and landslides occurring June 23 - Aug. 5, 2025.
The disaster declaration includesthe Mescalero Apache Tribe.
The SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and private nonprofit organizations -- including faith-based organizations -- impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster.
"SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery," said Chris Stallings, Associate Administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery at SBA. "These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster."
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for businesses and 3.625% for private nonprofits, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant's financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA's National Support Network Center at (866) SBA-HELP or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Nov. 23. However, after the deadline has passed, there is a 60-day grace period in which SBA will accept applications.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/10/23/sba-relief-still-available-mescalero-apache-tribe-businesses-nonprofits-affected-adverse-weather
SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Washington Businesses, Private Nonprofits, Residents Affected by Eastern Washington Wildfires
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Washington Businesses, Private Nonprofits, Residents Affected by Eastern Washington Wildfires
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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans to Washington businesses, private nonprofits and residents to offset physical and economic losses from the Eastern Washington Wildfires occurring July 23 - Aug. 31. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Washington Businesses, Private Nonprofits, Residents Affected by Eastern Washington Wildfires
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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans to Washington businesses, private nonprofits and residents to offset physical and economic losses from the Eastern Washington Wildfires occurring July 23 - Aug. 31. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to arequest from Governor Bob Ferguson Oct. 14.
The declaration covers the Washington counties of Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman, as well as the Idaho counties of Benewah, Bonner, and Kootenai.
Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against fire damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.
The SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and private nonprofit organizations -- including faith-based organizations -- impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or private nonprofit did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster.
"SBA provides financial assistance to help communities recover," said Chris Stallings, Associate Administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery at SBA. "We offer disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses, and private nonprofits affected by the disaster."
Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.875% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant's financial condition.
Applicants may call the SBA National Support Network Center at (866) SBA-HELP or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return physical damage applications is Dec. 21 The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 22, 2027.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/10/23/sba-offers-disaster-assistance-washington-businesses-private-nonprofits-residents-affected-eastern
Pedal to the Metal: NASA's Psyche Heads Toward Asteroid Belt
PASADENA, California, Oct. 23 -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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Pedal to the Metal: NASA's Psyche Heads Toward Asteroid Belt
Oct. 22, 2026
The spacecraft will use its solar electric propulsion system for 90% of its cruise until it reaches the asteroid Psyche by the summer of 2029.
With a successful Mars gravity assist in its rearview mirror, NASA's Psyche spacecraft has fired up its thrusters and is accelerating to the metal-rich asteroid of the same name. During the first leg of its journey, following an October 2023 launch, the mission used its electric propulsion
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PASADENA, California, Oct. 23 -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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Pedal to the Metal: NASA's Psyche Heads Toward Asteroid Belt
Oct. 22, 2026
The spacecraft will use its solar electric propulsion system for 90% of its cruise until it reaches the asteroid Psyche by the summer of 2029.
With a successful Mars gravity assist in its rearview mirror, NASA's Psyche spacecraft has fired up its thrusters and is accelerating to the metal-rich asteroid of the same name. During the first leg of its journey, following an October 2023 launch, the mission used its electric propulsionsystem intermittently to maneuver to the right place for harnessing Mars' gravity for a propellant-saving speed boost and a slight trajectory change.
On Sept. 28, the spacecraft began to use its propulsion system nearly continuously, pausing just once each week to check in with mission controllers on Earth. This keeps the mission on track for its rendezvous with the asteroid Psyche in the main asteroid belt by the summer of 2029.
"It's now 'pedal to the metal' to the asteroid Psyche," said Don Han, the Psyche mission's navigation lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which is managed for the agency by Caltech. "We will be running our propulsion system at every available opportunity, pausing only for necessary engineering activities. The thrusters will be operating nearly 90% of the time from now until we reach the asteroid."
Xenon propellant efficiency
Where conventional spacecraft thrusters rely on large quantities of fuel to provide powerful bursts of thrust for relatively short periods of time, the Psyche spacecraft's solar-powered propulsion system uses electromagnetic fields to steadily deliver up to 250 millinewtons of force -- about the amount of force that you would feel from the weight of holding one AA battery.
The highly efficient system relies on a mechanism known as the Hall effect, in which charged atoms, or ions, of the inert gas xenon are expelled to create thrust -- and a bright blue glow.
Each of the four thrusters operates one at a time. Though the thrust is tiny, it builds up over the course of the journey, enabling the spacecraft to gain speed as it travels through interplanetary space. At its maximum speed during cruise, the Psyche spacecraft will be traveling more than 100,000 mph (160,900 kph) relative to an observer on Earth.
The spacecraft uses its two five-panel, cross-shaped solar arrays -- with a sunlight-collecting area of 800 square feet (75 square meters) -- to generate electricity to charge its batteries and power its systems, including the propulsion system. The spacecraft launched with nearly 2,400 pounds (1,090 kilograms) of xenon in seven fuel tanks. In the three years since launch, it has used about one third of that supply, leaving plenty to reach its target and assist the spacecraft as it orbits the asteroid Psyche during a two-year prime science mission.
"There are some unique things that mission designers need to consider with a propulsion system that is powered by the Sun," said Steve Snyder, the Psyche mission's lead engineer for propulsion operations at JPL. "For the next three months, we'll be thrusting at full power before we begin slowly throttling down to approximately half power as the spacecraft moves farther away and its solar arrays receive less sunlight and generate less power."
Psyche swirl torque
Another consideration for mission designers: Despite how gentle the Hall-effect thrusters are, using them requires consistent management throughout cruise. As the thrusters expel xenon ions, the magnetic field generated causes the ions to swirl. These swirling ions can create a slight torque, or twisting force, that if left unchecked would interfere with the spacecraft's pointing.
To compensate for the torque and absorb the excess angular momentum it generates, the Psyche spacecraft relies on reaction wheels to change their spin rate. After several hours, engineers command the spacecraft to turn off its thruster, rotate, and then run a different thruster at low power in a different direction for several minutes to remove the momentum that built up in the reaction wheels.
"For a propulsion engineer, it's a fun thing that you can only measure this torque in space and not on Earth, as it's so small," said Snyder. "In fact, this is the first time anyone has been able to measure this effect on a Hall thruster as a function of power level and of operating time, and for such a long duration in space. The Psyche spacecraft is an excellent laboratory to test it."
Cruising with confidence
When it arrives in 2029, the spacecraft will insert itself into orbit around the asteroid Psyche, which is thought to be the partial core of a planetesimal, a building block of an early planet. The spacecraft will map the asteroid and gather science data during a series of orbits that go lower and then higher in altitude around Psyche, which is about 173 miles (280 kilometers) across at its widest point.
If the asteroid proves to be an ancient planetesimal's metallic core, it could offer a one-of-a-kind window into the interior of rocky planets like Earth.
"The Mars flyby was an incredible opportunity for the team to calibrate instruments and practice procedures for a planetary encounter ahead of arriving at the asteroid Psyche," said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator for the Psyche mission at the University of California, Berkeley. "Now we are cruising with confidence deeper into the solar system, powered by sunlight, ready to explore a mysterious new world in the asteroid belt."
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/pedal-to-the-metal-nasas-psyche-heads-toward-asteroid-belt/
National Museum of African Art Announces "New & Now: A Decade Building the National Collection of African Art"
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Museum of African Art Announces "New & Now: A Decade Building the National Collection of African Art"
Exhibition Features Artworks Acquired in the Past Decade and Explains How and Why the Museum Collects
October 22, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art presents "New & Now: A Decade Building the National Collection of African Art," opening Friday, Nov. 6, and remaining an ongoing display. The exhibition features artworks in the museum's permanent collection acquired over the
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Museum of African Art Announces "New & Now: A Decade Building the National Collection of African Art"
Exhibition Features Artworks Acquired in the Past Decade and Explains How and Why the Museum Collects
October 22, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art presents "New & Now: A Decade Building the National Collection of African Art," opening Friday, Nov. 6, and remaining an ongoing display. The exhibition features artworks in the museum's permanent collection acquired over thepast decade, explaining why and how the museum collects. "New & Now" highlights the ways in which these significant artworks introduce new voices or more fully tell stories for the collection and how, in recent years, the museum's collecting practice has changed to more carefully consider object histories and ethical stewardship.
The National Museum of African Art currently stewards nearly 13,000 objects across time and media--including painting, sculpture, works on paper, textiles, photography, pottery, decorative arts, fashion and time-based media--representing the entire continent. The collection constantly evolves and grows. Through these works, the museum tells stories that bridge cultures, promote thoughtful conversations and celebrate the creativity and cultural richness of Africa for present and future generations.
Part of "New & Now" showcases how the museum is home to the largest publicly held collection of 20th- and 21st-century African art in the United States--and is continuing to expand in this area as a global leader in the field. Nearly 30 African artists who presented in and around the 2026 Venice Biennale, for instance, are represented in the National Museum of African Art's collection. "New & Now" features some of them: Adebunmi Gbadebo, Wangechi Mutu, Thania Petersen, Beya Gille Gacha, Damien Ajavon and Pamina Sebastiao. The product of a purposeful strategy, this exhibition demonstrates the museum's continued leadership in supporting artists and driving global conversations. "New & Now" also includes works that speak to recent times, like the drawing "Notes on Lockdown: I Just Want To Be Touched Again" by Phoebe Boswell (b. Nairobi, Kenya) that reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Museum of African Art's collection also has art that dates back as far as the 10th century. The oldest object displayed in "New & Now," a wooden bowl with geometric-patterned sides and a carved figure on the lid, was made by King Lewanika, a leader of the Lozi people in the 19th century in what is now the Western Province of Zambia. The past few years have led to new reflections about how museums acquire art from around the world. This work, made by Lewanika to demonstrate the cultural power of his kingdom to foreign visitors, speaks to the agency of African artists and community leaders inherent in such works. To show how object histories are an integral part of the African Art Museum's collecting practice, noteworthy provenance, or ownership history, is incorporated throughout the "New & Now" exhibition.
"'New & Now' gives visitors a better understanding of the 'why' behind the 'what' required to build our nation's collection of African art," said John K. Lapiana, director of the National Museum of African Art. "This exhibition demonstrates how a big part of the 'why' behind our work is sharing the breadth, depth and beauty of African art with the public."
"The provenance research displayed in 'New & Now' explains how we collect with a holistic mindset and with respect for our collections' origins," said Heran Sereke-Brhan, the museum's deputy director. "As part of this work, we're engaging with Africans on the continent and in the diaspora worldwide."
"'New & Now' aims to give visitors a closer look at how this museum grows and thinks strategically with its collections, and how we connect to our audiences," said curator Kevin D. Dumouchelle. "By offering a vision into where we've been working--and where we may focus next--we hope to demonstrate not only our global leadership in expanding the conversation around artistic creativity and innovation from the continent, but also to point toward the many areas in which we hope to learn and engage in the near future."
About the National Museum of African Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art is the only national museum in the United States dedicated to the collection, conservation, study and exhibition of Africa's arts across time and media. The museum's collection of nearly 13,000 artworks spans more than 1,000 years of African history and includes a variety of media from across the continent.
Beginning as a private educational institution in Washington, D.C., in 1964 to promote cross-cultural understanding, the museum celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024. Founded by Warren M. Robbins, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, the museum opened with Robbins' personal collection in a Capitol Hill townhouse that had once been the home of Frederick Douglass. Robbins was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and motivated by a desire to share how African art was relevant to American audiences. The museum joined the Smithsonian Institution in 1979 and has continued to expand its vision and collection for six decades.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-african-art-announces-new-now-decade-building-national-collection
IDB Approves $128.48 Million Financing Package to Improve Water Security in Ecuador
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves $128.48 Million Financing Package to Improve Water Security in Ecuador
October 22, 2026
WASHINGTON - The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $128.48 million financing package to improve water security in Ecuador and strengthen the capacity of Banco de Desarrollo del Ecuador B.P. (BDE B.P.) to mobilize capital.
The package consists of a $120 million multiple works investment loan, as well as a $4.76 million loan and a $3.72 million
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves $128.48 Million Financing Package to Improve Water Security in Ecuador
October 22, 2026
WASHINGTON - The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $128.48 million financing package to improve water security in Ecuador and strengthen the capacity of Banco de Desarrollo del Ecuador B.P. (BDE B.P.) to mobilize capital.
The package consists of a $120 million multiple works investment loan, as well as a $4.76 million loan and a $3.72 milliongrant from the Green Climate Fund to strengthen water resilience in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
The program is aligned with Amazonia Forever, the IDB Group initiative that promotes sustainable development and the protection of Amazon ecosystems.
Approximately 283,000 people, including 166,000 in the Amazon region, will directly benefit from improved infrastructure to expand access to and enhance the quality of drinking water, sanitation, and solid waste management services. The program will also reduce vulnerability to floods and droughts through improvements in stormwater drainage, as part of strategic planning efforts for the conservation and protection of water resources.
The $120 million multiple works investment loan has a 23.5-year repayment term, a 7-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR. The $4.76 million Green Climate Fund loan has a 20-year repayment term, a 5-year grace period, and an interest rate of 0.75%.
In addition to this financing package, the program includes $12 million in local counterpart funding.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-approves-12848-million-financing-package-improve-water-security-ecuador
EPA Reaches Agreement with Gelman Sciences to Address Contaminated Aquifer in Ann Arbor, Michigan
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Reaches Agreement with Gelman Sciences to Address Contaminated Aquifer in Ann Arbor, Michigan
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CHICAGO (October 23, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a legal agreement with Gelman Sciences LLC to address contaminated soil and groundwater in Ann Arbor and Scio Townships in Michigan. The agreement establishes responsibilities for long-term remedial planning and near-term response actions at the site under EPA oversight.
"Since adding the Gelman Sciences site
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Reaches Agreement with Gelman Sciences to Address Contaminated Aquifer in Ann Arbor, Michigan
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CHICAGO (October 23, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a legal agreement with Gelman Sciences LLC to address contaminated soil and groundwater in Ann Arbor and Scio Townships in Michigan. The agreement establishes responsibilities for long-term remedial planning and near-term response actions at the site under EPA oversight.
"Since adding the Gelman Sciences siteto the National Priorities List in March, EPA has moved quickly to put strong oversight and clear expectations in place," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel. "This order provides a focused path for accelerating critical work to protect residents and advance long-term aquifer restoration, demonstrating EPA's commitment to delivering effective and timely Superfund cleanups."
The agreement, known as an administrative settlement agreement and order on consent, requires the company to:
* Conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study which will determine the nature and extent of the contamination and evaluate potential cleanup approaches.
* Excavate soils contaminated with 1,4-dioxane from the former burn pit area on Gelman's property.
* Increase the groundwater extraction and treatment rates in the eastern groundwater plume to reduce the spread of groundwater contamination.
* Install additional groundwater monitoring wells to further define the easternmost extent of 1,4-dioxane groundwater contamination.
* Provide grant funding for community groups to hire an independent technical advisor to help interpret and explain technical reports, site conditions, and EPA's proposed actions.
A state-level consent judgment obtained by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy remains in effect. Work ordered under the state's consent judgment includes installation of groundwater extraction and monitoring wells, on-site remediation for groundwater and soils, and annual sampling of residential wells.
Background
From 1963-1986, Gelman Sciences manufactured medical filters, a process that discharged wastewater containing 1,4-dioxane into surrounding ponds, thereby creating a contaminated groundwater plume. The 1,4-dioxane groundwater plume is approximately three miles long and one mile wide and has migrated into aquifers that supply drinking water. Health risks of 1,4-dioxane include liver and kidney damage and cancer.
1,4-dioxane exceedances in private wells have already prompted residential drinking water wells to be abandoned and residents to tie into municipal water lines. In 2001, the city of Ann Arbor closed its municipal drinking water well, known as the Montgomery Wellfield, due to the presence of 1,4-dioxane.
The state nominated the site for inclusion on the National Priorities List in 2021. Following site assessments and public comments, in March 2026 EPA finalized adding the site to the NPL.
More information is available on EPA's Gelman Sciences website.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-reaches-agreement-gelman-sciences-address-contaminated-aquifer-ann-arbor-michigan
