Air

There is a hill near Hrazdan Town. This is the site where ferruginous deposit will be opened and ore will be mined through explosions. Here a processing plant will be constructed as well.

The presentation of “Geo Alaverdi: Environment and Urban Development” report was held in the Aarhus Center in Alaverdi on 28 August.

The residents in Alaverdi Town are covered with 25 thousand tons of sulphuric anhydrite per year. Moreover, besides sulphuric anhydrite, the emissions contain 38,6 tons of a wide range of metals, mostly copper and lead. In practice, the whole town is in the first zone under the impact of the emissions by the Copper Molybdenum Combine in Alaverdi where the concentration of emissions can exceed the permissible limit by 30 times.

The hill in the background, looming above this Hrazdan city park, is the proposed location for a metal-processing plant.

If to look at Azatamout Villages from above, you may confuse it with a large industrial centre. This area is situated near the estuary of the Aghstev River and is surrounded by small enterprises producing charcoal that release smoke day and night.

One can see the smoke out the chimney of Alaverdi Copper-smelting Plant still approaching to the town.

Hakob Sanasaryan, the head of Green in Armenia, told Hetq about the consequences of explosion at “Nairit” enterprise.

Armen Saghatelyan, Doctor of geo-mineralogical sciences, Director of Center for Ecological Noosphere Studies NAN RA spoke about ecological risks in his report.

According to RA Nature Protection Ministry information, cement dust content in air basin of Hrazdan town exceeded the norm by 4.8 times in July of the present year. This figure increases month by month.

Research centers of Norway and Sweden say 45,000 tons of sulfur dioxide accumulate on the territory of Armenia every year with 25,000 tons being from mining industry exhaust.

Air pollutants slightly exceed the maximum permissible concentration in Armenian cities’ atmosphere and rivers, National Statistical Service of Armenia says with a reference to the Nature Protection ministry’s information.

According to Anzhela Turnikyan, UNECE Armenian Coordinator, Armenia has signed “Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution” protocol but hasn’t ratified it yet, as the Protocol lays down strict requirements not available for Armenia.

Ecologists say that benzol concentration in Yerevan and Vanadzor is 1.5 times higher than the admissible level

According to RA Ministry of Nature Protection, monthly ozone concentration has reduced 1.5 times in October of the current year.

According to RA Ministry of Nature Protection, in July of the current year the concentration of dust and toxic complexes in atmosphere in Yerevan, Gyumri, Hrazdan, Alaverdi and Vanadzor cities have exceeded the standard.