DUSHANBE, July 14, 2010, Asia-Plus -- Director of the Institute for Water Problems, Hydropower Engineering and Ecology of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Professor Zaynulobiddin Kobuliyev, considers that statement by Uzbek environmentalists about serious health and environmental problems, caused by industrial waste from the Tajik aluminum smelter in a number of districts of Uzbekistan’s southeastern Surkhandaryo region, are “baseless.”

According to him, emissions from the Tajik aluminum plant do not exceed the pollution standard.  “We have the project, Maximum Permissible Emission,” said Kobuliyev.  “Under this project, the maximum permissible emission is examined at enterprises every five years and the examination findings show that emissions from the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) do not exceed the pollution standard.”

“Energy crisis has resulted in Tajik aluminum production decreasing and emission and pollutant emissions have decreased correspondingly,” the expert said.

In the meantime, Uzbek media report that a group of Uzbek MPs and activists of the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan recently met with residents of Altynsay district in Surkhandaryo region.  Health and environmental problems allegedly caused by the Tajik aluminum smelter were the focus of the meeting.  The meeting participants demanded that urgent measures should be taken to decrease the level of air pollution caused by emissions from TALCO.  They also signed an appeal to international organizations with solicitation to conduct an independent ecological examination.

Uzbek ecology movements have repeatedly said the plant has contaminated water, air, and soil in Surkhandaryo for over 35 years, resulting in an increase of pollution-related diseases among the local population.  According to Uzbek environmentalists, high rates of pulmonary and digestive diseases and blood disorders among Surkhandaryo residents are connected to pollution caused by the aluminum plant.  Tajik authorities have denied such accusations.

The aluminum plant, run by the Tajik Aluminum Company (Talco), was launched in late March 1975.  It is one of the ten largest aluminum smelters in the world and provides up to 70% of the country’s foreign currency earnings, consuming 40% of the country’s electrical power.  Tajikistan does not mine alumina but imports the raw material through tolling arrangements.