EcoLur
Currently the hazardous stage of Amulsar project is launched: project infrastructures are developed in parallel with construction works: Inga Zarafyan, President of 'EcoLur' NGO, said at the discussions on Amulsar project held at 'Article 3' Club.
'After so many negative assessments when even the Ombudsman's Office of the International Finance Corporation accepted the complaint filed by the residents and NGOs. As a matter of fact, the IFM acknowledged the risks we were talking about, which are substantiated. Over these years this company has submitted 4 programs, and in each program the areas were added with respective increase in risks: if the positive conclusion issued in 2009 mentioned the development of only one area, today we speak about the development of already 3 areas,' Inga Zarafyan said. She considered Amulsar project the outcome of political decision-making.
'If we speak about investment programs, Jermuk is one of the largest investment programs, where billions have been invested into. How can we put such an investment program at risk for another, very dubious and unclear project. They are uncomparable. And this means that we have Amulsar project as a non-substantiated political decision-making,' Inga Zarafyan said. Geographer Levon Galstyan, a member of Pan-Armenian Environmental Front (PEF), outlined that the government has accepted Amulsar project without real assessment, while the opinions issued to the project are clearly the brief versions of the documents having been submitted by the company. The environmental stressed out that Amulsar project shall be considered in the context of national and state safety.
'Who shall assess the income received during these 10 years and whether working places are more important that what we have in Amulsar and its adjacent water basin? Numerous springs, tributaries to numerous river spring from this area, which then flow into the Arpa, Vorotan and other rivers. All this eventually ensure normal living style for our state and people, and if we endanger one of the its most important components, we endanger the safety of our country,' Levon Galstyan said.
PEF member Anna Shahnazaryan said that Amulsar project shall be stopped, first of all, ceasing the funding of the project and then the construction works on the spot. 'We shall make the government recognize that all its previous decisions are illegal,' Anna Shahnazaryan said. PEF member Ani Khachatryan called for all to unite and to stop Amulsar mining project implementation with joint efforts.
The representatives of 'Lydian Armenia' Company, RA Nature Protection Ministry and Jermuk Municipality, who had also been invited to the discussions, didn't attend it.
Amulsar gold mine is located on the borderline of Vayots Dzor and Syunik Regions. The mine will be developed in opencast manner by 'Lydian International' Company. A heap leaching facility will be constructed for gold extraction in a distance of 1 km from Gndevaz community, in the area of apricot orchards. The mine will have annually 10 million tons of productivity, while Jermuk resort is located on a mere distance of 10 km.
January 19, 2017 at 17:19