EcoLur
From 20 to 22 February "Dznemarduk-2015" festival was held in Jermuk Town, Vayots Dzor Region. Jermuk was covered with snow sculptures, which were made by sculptors and amateur groups. S.O.S Amulsar initiative made a surprise to festival guests. The initiative members drew the following signs on the snwo from Olympia Hotel to Drinking Hall: “NO TO AMULSAR”, “LYDIAN GO HOME!!!”, “NO TO CYANIDE”, “JERMUK IS GOLD: NO TO AMULSAR”, “SAVE JERMUK FROM MINE”, “EBRD, IFC LEAVE!!!”.
S.O.S. Amulsar initiative members disseminated colorful flyers to the participants of the festival, “AMULSAR MINE TO KILL JERMUK RESORT”: Lydian International, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) are going to develop Amulsar gold mine. Gold will be exported, while Jermuk residents and guests will be left annually 723.91 tons of dust saturated with lead and arsenic, polluted land areas and rivers.
The mine will be exploded 1931 times, each time using 239.6 kg of explosive, which may result in disappearance of Jermuk gold, mineral water. The heap leach facility to be located in Gndevaz community will also threaten Jermuk, where Amulsar gold will be leached by using extremely toxic cyanide.
Gndevaz residents will not only lose their orchards, pastures, fields, and clean water, but will also face the need to leave the village and to find a new place to live in.
Amulsar mine development must be prevented: join the lawsuit, organize protest demonstrations and protect Jermuk from irreversible hazards of mining.”
February 23, 2015 at 12:54