§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on radioactive contamination of floodwaters in Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan and the risks of such contamination within Afghanistan. [93095]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienWe received reports about flooding and landslides in the Maili Su area of Kyrgyzstan in May 2002. There was some concern at the time that Soviet era uranium dumps and deposits could be disturbed, leading to contamination of Kyrgyz rivers. Though this did not happen, there remains some risk that radioactive waste could be disturbed by future landslides and earthquakes. If waste was to enter the Maili Su river, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, through which the river also flows, would be affected. We are not aware of reports suggesting that Afghanistan would be affected, but will continue to monitor the situation.