

The residents of Pambak consolidated community in Lori Region expressed their opposition to the geological prospecting aimed at extracting useful minerals in the areas of these settlements by "Composite Metal" LLC, which they mentioned ring the public hearings held on January 21, 2025, in Pambak, Karaberd, and Bazum. Suren Kostandyan, Administrative Head of Pambak Community, noted, "'Composite Metal' is a company cooperating with the gold mine and gold processing plant operating in Arjut settlement." Zaruhi Zurnachyan, Environmental Consultant of 'Composite Metal', stated, "The company intends to conduct geological prospecting to determine whether these areas are promising for future mining or not, and whether there will be industrial resources there or not. There will be very short studies and sampling."
Pambak
During the initiated hearings at the Pambak community hall, the residents raised questions about the potential pollution of nature and damage to tourism in the event of possible mine development. "We have made an investment of 8 million USD to bring tourists, and you want to exploit a mine right under our noses. A hotel complex is being built, we are going to build a cable car. I left everything, came here from outside to make a fuss so that you would make dust," one of the residents outlined. "What is happening here does not comply with the norms, we want to develop tourism. Tourism cannot develop in parallel with mines. Our hotel will be about 1000 meters away from that area in a straight line," another resident noted. "The villagers have been mowing that place for 100 years, what will happen to that land? We will live here, our children will live here, if you cut the top of the mountain and open a gold mine, how will it be..." "Everything will mess up. People say there is a stone mine next to it, how will we come to that hotel? Now they know there is a gold mine, how will they come..." "We imagine everything like the ten fingers of our hand, there will be dust, they will blast, it will be a serious problem for the community. Open wherever you want, but you won't open here." The company representative responded that they are only talking about the study for now, there is no mention of mine development.
Qaraberd
Qaraberd residents also raised issues. "So we won't have cows to keep, the pastures are disappearing, we mow grass there, they are automatically relocating us. I keep two cows, are you removing us from the village?" "Our village is being automatically destroyed. We do not agree, we keep two products, we live with that in this gorge, if everything becomes a gold mine, how will we live here?" "It is more correct not to study now than to stand against it later. The mine is harmful to all of us, we do not want those areas to take a shovel of soil and take samples." In response to the residents, the company representative said that when hearings related to the mine development take place, they should raise these issues then.
Bazum
Many also opposed the activities presented by Bazum community. "We are against sampling and mining. This is a program for the deterioration of ecology, I say on behalf of the residents - we are all against it," said one resident. "If there are resources in the mine, and this many people are against it, what is the point of conducting a study? If damage is caused, who will compensate? Why are you taking samples? If you are considering our opinion, we say we are against it." "This is specifically above our houses, we use those waters, we have made a lake with that water - we keep fish," the residents noted. Head of Pambak Community, Suren Kostandyan, informed at the end of the hearings that Community Council would make a decision based on the opinions expressed and the minutes. "Our council is legitimate, council members have been present at the hearings," he said. It should be noted that according to the law on environmental impact assessment and expertise, the community council makes a decision on granting preliminary consent or disagreement regarding the implementation of the proposed activity within 30 working days after the public hearing, which must include justifications for its reasons.
January 21, 2025 at 17:34