EcoLur
New public hearings on the project of a cyanic plant in Meghradzor will be held on 17 December. Nevertheless, so far the public haven’t received the minutes of the public hearings held on 5 December or the full text. The website of Nature Protection Ministry displays only a part of the project concerning atmosphere pollution. EcoLur presents the video recording of the hearings (a bit reduced version) and some information about the cyanic project, which project developer Hovik Nikaghosyan, Head of Environmental Department of “Lernametalurgiakan Institute” called almost safe.
Thus, Meghradzor Gold Company considers it unprofitable to transfer the ore to Ararat ore processing mine and intends to extract fold on the spot in cyanic method. The reason is that the ore from Meghradzor mine is very rich and contains from 80 to 150 grams of gold per ton. The rich ore is mixed with the poor ore from Sotq gold mine to obtain a Dore bar, i.e., as a fact, is the dresser of Sotq ore. “Here ore is crushed, ground and sent for cyanidation. Gold from cyanide solution will precipitated through electrolysis. This is a closed cycle, in vats, from where there are no emissions into atmosphere. A part of the wastes, which will contain gold to a lesser degree, will be mixed with the ore and sent to Ararat combine,” said Hovik Nikaghosyan and added that had introduced the same technology in Masis, which “has been working and is still working.”
Hrazdan Aarhus Center Coordinator Zhora Arakelyan: “The project mentions, that a part of the wastes will be sent to “Hanqavan-Hrazdan” cleaning station and to the Marmarik River after cleaning. But the station hasn’t been working for many years.”
Hovik Nikaghosyan: These are laboratory wastes, and if the collector doesn’t work, the company is obliged to set up a cleaning station.
Zhora Arakelyan: but the project doesn’t say anything about it.
Meghradzor Villager: There are good technologies, why don’t you introduce them?
“Meghradzor Gold” LLC Vardan Margaryan: “If our technologies won’t meet our demands, we will obtain new ones. But now we have limited options. I should make an arrangement either with GeoProMining Gold (Ararat Combine) or with Tigran Arzaqantsyan in Hrazdan or with Vallex Group. Now I have succeeded on obtaining the permit of opencast mining. Now the cyanic plant…If somebody proves, this is dangerous, I won’t permit even the minimum risk.
Trchkan Initiative Group activist Levon Galstyan: First of all, there should be a monitoring plan, but it doesn’t exist. Secondly, there is no action plan in case of emergency states, no zero option, which this project can be compared with, no seismicity assessment…Meanwhile you use very hazardous substances…which will be present in the atmosphere…
Hovik Nikaghosyan: no, there won’t be any hazardous substances in the atmosphere, the cycle is closed…The plant will use a weak solution of cyanogen, 1%.
Levon Galstyan: We can present a huge amount of science literature on cyanic emissions…We also didn’t mention how the plant will impact on the health of employees… Your project misses at least 7 points, which are mandatory according to RA Law “On Environmental Expertise”…
Zhora Arakelyan: The civilized world has refused from cyanogens and doesn’t use it all...
Read the full text in Armenian.
December 11, 2012 at 13:31