EcoLur
Public representatives protested the fact of holding public hearings on 21 December on the project of Tezhsar nepheline-syenite mine by Alumina Corporation. The statement of the hearings is already the fourth. “Healthy Hrazdan” civic initiative member Movses Manukyan listed the reasons, why the previous public hearings were not held. First time the company announced about public hearings on 3 May 2012, and then it was cancelled for unknown reasons. The second time the public hearing was appointed on 30 May 2012, but the company sent to the hearings its logistics manager, who at the same time was the director’s driver. The latter refused to answer the questions. And at last, on 26 July the hearings were held in Artavaz Village, but the public – “Healthy Hrazdan” and “Trchkan” civic initiatives and the working group of Public Environmental Alliance recognized the project documents insufficiently substantiated, while the project itself was recognized as hazardous for Hanqavan-Meghradzor resort zone, mineral resources, forests and the river basin of Marmarik and Aghstev Rivers. “Trchkan” civic initiative member Levon Galstyan stated about unlawfulness of extending term of expert assessment. “Healthy Hrazdan” civic initiative called for all to recognize the hearings as illegal and to leave the hall. “Good bye,” said group members and other public representatives and Meghradzor villagers joined them.
As a result, the public considered the public hearings held on 21 December another violation of the environmental legislation of Armenia and walked out in protest. Several people who stayed and village heads didn’t listen to the speeches made by Alumina Corporation Emin Knyazyan and project developer Vram Tevosyan, while Nature Protection Ministry Environmental Expertise Expert Azganush Drnoyan said she considered these public hearings to be legal. “Sometimes such format happens,” she said.
The details of the lively day of 21 December will be presented in nearest future in the video report by EcoLur.
December 24, 2012 at 11:50