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RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1268
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1164

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000275 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, G 
EMBASSY TASHKENT FOR EVELYNN PUTNAM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EIND ETRD SENV RS TI
SUBJECT: TADAZ CLAIMS POLLUTION HAS DECREASED 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00000275  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  Central Asia's Regional Environment, Science, 
Technology and Health Officer (REO) and PolOff visited the 
Tajikistan Aluminum (TadAZ) plant in Tursun-Zoda near the 
Uzbekistan border February 9.  Uzbekistan blames the Tajik 
government for allowing TadAZ to pollute the environment, which 
affects Uzbek towns just across the border.  TadAZ officials 
claimed air and water pollution from the plant has decreased 
tremendously and painted a rosy picture of an ideal company 
town.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Rustam Latifov, current deputy chairman of the State 
Committee for Environmental Protection (SCEP), explained one 
reason for the friction between the Uzbek and Tajik governments 
on pollution issues is each country has different methodology, 
standards and statistics for measuring pollution.  Latifov added 
that the Uzbeks pollute more than the Tajiks.  According to 
Tajik standards, the TadAZ pollution levels are acceptable. 
 
¶3.  (U)  TadAZ has its own Department for Environmental 
Protection, headed by Nurali Kadirov.   TadAZ lab tests of the 
water and air quality show pollution declining since the 
nineties.  A possible reason for the decline is that in 1992 and 
1997 TadAZ installed $16 million worth of pollution prevention 
technology from Norway.  According to TadAZ environmental 
officials, a TadAZ scientist patented a process he developed to 
recycle aluminum waste into other products.  Last year TadAZ 
produced 380,000 tons of aluminum and also 15,000 tons of 
aluminum waste.  TadAZ officials would not give PolOffs copies 
of their assessment, explaining that the document had sensitive 
commercial information as well.  Their assessment was derived 
from the work of three laboratories in Tajikistan.  The SCEP has 
a laboratory in Dushanbe and TadAZ has two laboratories equipped 
with Soviet-era equipment-one at their plant facilities and one 
in a suburb of Tursun-Zoda. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Most of TadAZ's newer equipment and technology comes 
from Russia, although the original equipment is early 1970s 
French.  TadAZ officials mentioned that RusAl is considering 
modernizing the plant.  When asked about RusAl's relationship 
with the plant, TadAZ officials would not comment.   They said 
their role as environmental monitors prevented them from knowing 
whom their clients or suppliers are and said TadAZ processes raw 
materials brought from an intermediary who also sells their 
products.  (Note: Although they did not come out and directly 
say it, the intermediary is a Russian company.) 
 
¶5.  (U)  TadAZ is the largest employer in the city and like 
other large Soviet company towns, continues to provide services 
to its workers.  In 2000, TadAZ built a hospital where employees 
and their families can seek free medical treatment.  City 
residents can also go to the hospital for a negotiated, but 
nominal fee.  In addition, TadAZ has also set up a "green zone" 
where they planted trees.  TadAZ officials noted that not only 
does the park benefit the community; the plant life is also used 
as an indicator of pollution.  "If the trees are alive and well, 
then there is no pollution problem." 
 
¶6.  (U)  Factory workers, according to Kadirov, can earn up to 
$300/month depending on how much they produce.  EmbOffs were 
permitted to walk right up to the machines and aluminum 
production sites.  Few safety measures were seen.  All employees 
wore helmets, but none had on masks to prevent inhaling the 
metallic dust and chemical fumes swirling around the plant. 
 
¶7.  (U)  The meeting with TadAZ was originally scheduled just 
between EmbOffs and TadAZ officials.  The day before, Latifov 
requested to participate, and during the meetings answered most 
of EmbOffs' questions.  Latifov often sided with the TadAZ 
 
DUSHANBE 00000275  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Department on Environmental Protection's responses on 
environmental issues.  Their common stance was an inherent 
conflict of interest exists between businesses and the 
environment, and businesses naturally act in their own interest. 
 In a private comment, Latifov sounded surprised by the notion 
gaining currency in U.S. environmental circles that the cost of 
a product should include its environmental effects. 
 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  The state-owned TadAZ provides Tajikistan, 
along with cotton, significant export earnings and plays a 
critical role in the weak economy.  Officials are unlikely to be 
overly concerned with environmental impact, particularly if it 
occurs on the other side of the border.  SCEP is in no position 
to act as a watchdog, particularly given the fact that much of 
TadAZ's aluminum is likely controlled by the giant RusAl.  The 
question of TadAZ pollution is also geopolitical.  RusAl's 
Deripaska, seeking investment in Uzbekistan, seems to have 
bought, at least in part, the Uzbek complaints about TadAZ 
pollution, much to Tajik officials' annoyance.  Given the 
quality of the lab and equipment that EmbOffs saw, as well the 
fact that TadAZ's labs are company-owned, TadAZ's results are 
questionable and its evaluation of its environmental impact 
cannot be taken at face value. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  BIO NOTE: Latifov, a former deputy chairman at the 
State Committee for Environmental Protection, was recently 
dismissed and most likely will be promoted to a post in a new 
regional water commission.  His brother, Oumed Latifov, is AES 
Director for Energy Development in Central and South Asia.  END 
COMMENT. 
HOAGLAND