ArmInfo 

A document on inspecting the course of deforestation at the Teghut copper- molybdenum deposit in Lori region and the reafforestation work as compensation for deforested Teghut has been signed between the Armenian Environment Ministry and the Agricultural Ministry, Armenian Environment Minister Aram Harutyunyan told ArmInfo correspondent.

According to the monitoring held by the public information organization "Ecolur", 200 thsd seedlings have been transplanted from the Teghut deposit into a nursery. However, neither the minister nor "Ecolur" failed to say where exactly the nursery is. It is only known that the big trees were carried to the town of Alaverdi. At the same time, the minister noted that Teghut's program meets all the ecological parameters. Now the assumed commitments should be carried out.

The development of the Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit in Lori region was launched without Armles (Armforest) CJSC's conclusion on probable damage to the Lalvar forestry. An ecological expert examination was conducted by the Armenian Environment Ministry without the request of the Agricultural Ministry, under the jurisdiction of which Armles is. Meanwhile, according to experts, 50 thsd cub.m. of wood will be cut at 357 ha of Teghut forest to develop the deposit.

The compensation will be assessed taking into account not the hectares, but the number of trees being cut or to be cut. At the moment deforestation and reclamation of the land belonging to two villages' community continue actively. ACP company's heavy machinery stirred up the whole area of the future tailing dump of the Teghut mine. Ecologists state that the technogenic waste of the open mine will be thrown into the nearest river Shnogh. Despite the fact that the company promised to build a dam with double protection, ecologists realize that it won't be able to protect the Shnogh, near which the tailing dump will be. Moreover, in this connection, the company is going to change the bed of another river - the Teghut.