EcoLur
Public representatives have addressed an open letter to Nature Protection Ministry, KfW Bank and WWF Armenia for Meghrasar mining project. The letter says, “On 31 July the EIA of Meghrasar open pit mining was submitted to Nature Protection Ministry. During the specialized hearings WWF Armenia and Nature Protection Ministry confirmed that the planned area of the mine is located partially within the borders of “Arevik” National Park borders and buffer zones, which are still unconfirmed. The studies on the biodiversity in the Meghrasar gold mine project EIA Are incomplete and don’t describe the adversary impact of this mining project on this unique and vulnerable biodiversity.
Taking into consideration the significance of the policy to establish and expand specially protected areas, particularly in such vulnerable areas as Meghri, as well as the project incompliance with the environmental legislation, we urge that the project will be considered illegal, if it’s granted a positive opinion. We proposing Nature Protection Ministry to issue a negative opinion to Meghrasar open pit mining project.
We are also applying to WWF Armenia proposing to hold independent scientific studies of the area biodiversity and to present the outcomes to stakeholders.
We would like to ask KfW Germany to study and present an opinion about the extent of compliance between the project of establishing a biospheric reserve they fund and such rates of mining taking into consideration UNESCO requirements and limitations concerning biospheric reserves.
Regards
Arsen Gasparyan - Biologist, environmentalist
Pan-Armenian Environmental Front civic initiative
Inga Zarafyan – EcoLur Informational NGO
Silva Adamyan – Coordinator of Public Environmental Alliance
Lyuba Balyan – environmentalist,
Martiros Nalbandyan - Global Eco NGO President, expert in specially protected areas
Teghot Support civic initiative
Ani Navasardyan - Head of Khazer Choir
November 11, 2014 at 17:54