Uzbekistan studying toxicity level at Karshi-Khanabad Air base following U.S. statements about possible toxic exposure of servicemen

AKIPRESS.COM - The State Environmental Protection Committee is studying toxicity level at the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Committee Vice Chairman Islombek Bokijonov told a press conference on February 17. On his last day in office, Donal Trump signed the executive order on study of toxic exposure by members of the U.S. armed forces deployed to the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan between October 1, 2001 and December 31, 2005.
Trump ordered preparation of a detailed assessment of the conditions at the Air Base in that period, including identification of any toxic substances contaminating the base, their exact locations, time frames of exposure to the toxic substances, the service members exposed to the toxic substances, and the circumstances of such exposure.
"We had big cotton fields. Each region before had a small aerodrome, from where planes took off for spraying cotton fields with chemicals and herbicides... We have 17 chemical disposal sites, around 33 of such sites were reclaimed and closed," the State Environmental Protection Committee Vice Chairman said.
Islombek Bokijonov suggested that such chemical disposal site could be at the air base.
"As for Khanabad where the U.S. servicemen were deployed, it was a restricted military zone. We did not have the opportunity to study condition of the area up to now. But there was the same aerodrome I said earlier, which was used for spraying chemicals on cotton fields," he said.
The Committee is making tests in its laboratories now to determine presence of toxic substances and radiation.
On July 20, 2020, Congressmen Steven Lynch and Mark Green publicized the classified materials of the Department of Defense. According to those materials, U.S. Armed Forces members could be exposed to toxic substances from 2001 to 2005 at the Khanabad air base. The Congressmen demanded disclosure of the information and to provide funding for care of veterans deployed to Uzbekistan.
It turned out that due to fuel spillage in 2001, members of U.S. Armed Forces could inhale harmful vapor. Another version suggests that servicemen could b exposed to radiation on a daily basis due to depleted uranium and asbestos present in the area.