EcoLur
For many years the public has been demanding from Nature Protection Ministry to develop a regulation, which will take into consideration the public opinion in the public hearings and environmental expertise, and if the public opposes to this or that project, the expertise should issue a negative opinion. At the press conference on 11 August EcoLur addressed a question to Nature Protection Minister Aramayis Grigoryan, when the ministry intends to develop this regulation.
“The procedure has been specified in the new law on EIA, and here the number of public hearings is four. We are in charge of the last public hearings – specialized hearings. This is the reality – to take the opinion of the affected community residents into consideration, and if there are negative opinions, we will definitely issue a negative opinion. I must say that positive opinions of the residents at the preliminary stages then disappear and after decision-making people change their minds and give negative opinions. Nevertheless, this problem exists and we will give priority. Nevertheless, the problem exists and we will give priority to the opinions of the resident, and we will issue an opinion favorable for the residents,” Aramayis Grigoryan said.
August 14, 2014 at 13:22