EcoLur
RA Environmental and Mining Inspection Body has published the findings of the monitoring held at Zangezour Copper and Molybdenum CJSC.
Below is the entire press release of the Inspection body:
From 10 September 2018 to 22 January 2019 RA Environmental and Mining Inspection Body (hereinafter the Inspection Body) carried out an inspection at Zangezour Copper and Molybdenum CJSC (hereinafter the Company).
The period including the inspection:
· Soil management – from 1 January 2017 to 1 January 2018
· Nature protection – from 31 October 2014 to 22 January 2019
Thus, the following violations have been detection through the inspections:
ü The conditions and reserves of the mine haven’t undergone any reassessment. The reserves of the mine were last reassessed and approved in 2006.
ü In 2017, factually 27.2 million tons of ore was quenched from the balanced reserves of the mine, while the soil management agreement laid down annually only 22 million tons. Out of planned 22 million tons of ore, 19.65 million tons of ore was processed in the ore processing plant. As a matter of fact, the difference between mined and processed ore volumes was collected by the company in the open mine area.
ü From 1 November 2014 to 20 April 2017, the company operated without emissions permit.
ü The company has carried out water intake adhering to the annual water intake volumes laid down in the water use permit, but violated the requirement of litre per second for the water intake, as a result of which the environment flow of the Voghji River was not preserved in 2015 (I, II, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII months), in 2016 (I, II, III, IX, X, XI and XII months), in 2017 (I, II, IX, XI and XII months).
ü In the course of the company operation, 18.55 ha of community and state land areas in Artsvanik, Chapni and Sevaqar rural communities located adjacent to Artsvanik tailing dump has been covered with tails: these land areas have been recognized as eminent domain with the governmental resolution № 791- Ն dated on 21 May 2015, but currently they are in the stage of amending the target purpose of the land area.
ü The company was carrying out water intake from the Voghji, Geghi and Sakqar Rivers without having water-measuring devices in the water intake points.
Thus, because of the business activities of the company RA Environmental and Mining Inspection Body has estimated damage in the amount of 382,431,552 AMD (three hundred eighty-two million four hundred thirty-one thousand five hundred and fifty-two) caused to the environment as a result of their impact on water resources and atmospheric air. In this regard, RA Environmental and Mining Inspection Body has posed a demand for damages to the company.
Besides that, three employees of the company in charge of sectoral development have been imposed administrative fines in the total amount of 550,000 AMD.
The company has been issued assignments to eliminate the violations detected through the inspections in set time periods.
March 13, 2019 at 16:48