EcoLur
On 15 September the first hearing of the action brought by “Center for Bird Lovers” and “EcoDar” NGOs against Nature Protection Ministry of Armenia at the Administrative Court of Armenia. In accordance with the lawsuit, the Ministry is accused of inactions in regard with “Nemo” Dolphinarium and “Nerum” Company in Komitas Public Park.
The dolphinarium was constructed in the absence of positive opinion of the environmental expert assessment. Nevertheless, despite all the public appeals to Nature Protection Ministry that the dolphinarium was an illegal building, the Ministry didn’t carry out necessary examinations either in terms of the building, or in the terms of company documents. However, the Ministry will most probably have to take these measures. NGO Barrister Levon Ohanyan told EcoLur that Judge R. Hakobyan provided Nature Protection Ministry 20 days to prepare explanations. The first question is why the Ministry hadn’t required to carry out the expert assessment of a building which is located in the square of 1250 square meters. According to L. Ohanyan, the building was constructed when the old standards for mandatory expert assessment were in force – more than 1000 square meters. New standards are 1500 square meters adopted only in autumn 2010.
September 16, 2011 at 13:24