Environmental Expertise Can’t See Red-Listed Species in Immediate Project Affected Zone

EcoLur

On 12 June the public hearings on the project documents of the rehabilitation of electrical communication line joining Sinuhayr substation to Hrazdan TPP (220 KW) were held at Vayots Dzor Municipality building. Under the project, the high-voltage electrical communication line will be completely rehabilitated from Hrazdan substation to Sinuhayr substation – 230 km to increase the reliability and capacity. The representatives of consulting company ‘IA Energy Advisory’ company attended the hearings, as well as Nature Protection Ministry ‘Environmental Expertise’ SNCO Expert Karine Movsisyan, representatives of several project affected communities, Vayots Dzor Municipality Transportation and Road Construction Department Head Khachik Aslanyan. The representatives of ‘High-Voltage Electrical Networks’ CJSC didn’t attend the hearings.
The construction of the new line will ensure reliability of power supply: this is how the purpose of the project was presented by Michael Tevosyan. The community residents having attended the hearings complained that their trees will suffer, as they are 20-30 meter long. The Nature Protection Ministry representative mentioned that all worrying questions will be passed to the organization, who will give them complete answers. “Land areas will be recognized as eminent domain and later proper compensation agreements will be concluded during meeting with communities,” Karine Movsisyan said.

Consulting organization lawyer Arsen Hayriyan told the attendees that no works will be launched unless compensations are paid.

In reply to EcoLur’ question to what extent the project complied with RA Laws on ‘On Flora’ and “On Fauna”. M. Tevosyan said, “Specialists have conducted studies on the spot. As Armenia doesn’t have any regulatory document, which can assess the impact of magnetic field in such high-voltage line, this impact hasn’t been assessed. As no legal act in Armenia lays down migration corridors, several areas have been taken into consideration, while environmental management plan includes warning signs and measures. What about endemic species, we have planned to avoid habitats as possible.”

June 13, 2014 at 18:46