EcoLur
Meghri Community residents, Syunik Region, have sent a letter to RA Nature Protection Minister with 12 signatures demanding to annul the positive environmental impact expert assessment issued to 'Tatstone' LLC for Litchq copper mining project in 2015. With another letter, the residents are demanding to reject the project submitted by 'Tatstone' LLC on water use permit for the water intake from the Ayrijur Tributary of the Meghri River.
The letter says: 'It has been found out that the company didn't previously have a water use permit for the water intake from Ayrijur Tributary to the Meghri River. Clause 3 of positive environmental impact expert assessment issued to 'Tatstone' LLC on 21.12.2015 says that they need to receive water use permit before they start their operation. As a matter of fact, this company had operated in Litchq mine area in 2017-2018 and stopped its operations in May 2018 without having a water use permit thus violating the requirements of the EIA.
Besides that, a petition signed by 3500 Meghri community residents have been drawn up with a request to immediately suspend the mining and to apply expert assessment:
1) The mine is located in the sanitary zone of water distribution system of the drinking water supply system in Meghri Town and other residential areas,
2) The mine is located in the area of Areviq National Park,
3) The mine is located at an impermissible distance from the residential area of Litchq Village,
4) The mining permanently hinders the perspective development of other sectors, the ecological safety of the whole area is at real risk.
This petition was handed to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan on 05.06.2018: taking into consideration the abovementioned, we are requesting to annul the positive environmental impact expert assessment issued to 'Tatstone' LLC for Litchq copper mining project in Syunik Region, Armenia.'
February 01, 2019 at 19:14