EcoLur
The bodies of local self-government in Jermuk resort town represented by the Aldermen’s Council addressed an open letter to Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan with a demand to stop Amoulsar gold mine development project. The letter is signed by 11 members of the Aldermen’s Council. Jermuk Mayor Vardan Hovhannisyan expresses the same opinion in the vide clip prepared by EcoLur, which was shot in May 2012.
The letter particularly says: “Geoteam” company held public hearings in several small villages and ignored Jermuk community - a resort having a critical significance with its medicinal waters, exclusive climatic conditions...Amoulsar is located on a tectonic fracturе, and there are no guarantees that explosions made at the open mine won’t affect on the seismic activity...Amoulsar is located in the drainage basin of Arpa and Vorotan rivers, the dumps to be left after extracting gold and tails will be stored in a distance of 200-300 meters from the Vorotan River and in a distance of 2,5 km from Spandaryan reservoir. The mine will be developed only for 15 years, while for the whole area around this is a pasture and a meadow, where people gather medicinal herbs and use them in their meal... Jermuk is a health resort and a center for ecological tourism. The dust from explosions, which is enriched with heavy metals will spoil the whole ecosystem. Under the government decision “On Declaring Jermuk Town as a Tourism Center” № 1064-N dated on 18.09.2008, the town determined its way to develop and such a mining object located only in a distance of 12 km from Jermuk can’t help leaving negative impact on Jermuk brand.
The Aldermen’s Council expects that as a competent governmental body the Ministry will do its best to stop and ban Amoulsar gold mine development.”
May 29, 2012 at 12:07