This article briefly presents the key operational characteristics of “Lichqvaz” CJSC mining company and highlights the environmental and social issues requiring solutions.
Company Assets
The assets of “Lichqvaz” CJSC include:
- Lichqvaz-Tei gold deposit
- The waste dump located at the mining production site
The company holds a subsoil use permit valid from November 22, 2012, to February 8, 2036.
The balance reserves of the deposit amount to 2,995.856 thousand tons of ore, including:
- Gold – 17,650.85 kg
- Silver – 105.24 tons
- Copper – 13,421 thousand tons
The annual permitted extraction volume ranges from 100,000 to 300,000 tons. The deposit covers an area of 57.4 hectares.
The main metals extracted are gold, silver, and copper, with zinc, lead, bismuth, and tellurium as associated elements.
Affected Communities
The mining operations impact the following communities: Meghri town (Meghri Municipality), Vardanidzor, including Vardanidzor, Tkhkut, and Aygedzor villages, Lehvaz settlement
Currently, 150,000 tons of ore extracted annually by the company are processed at the Kapan Mining and Processing Plant CJSC's enrichment factory.
Environmental Impact
The mining activities result in atmospheric emissions of: Mine dust, Sulfur anhydride, Nitrogen oxides, Hydrocarbons, Soot, Carbon dioxide, Benzo(a)pyrene.
On August 16, 2023, the company received a positive expert opinion (BP-0144-23) for the construction project of a processing plant building and related infrastructure within the licensed mining area.
According to the project, the planned annual capacity of the processing plant will be 400,000 tons, indicating a 2.66-fold increase in production capacity.
Water Pollution Concerns
- Vanadium, copper, zinc, chromium, nickel, lead, and arsenic concentrations in riverbed sediments exceed permissible limits.
- The Vogji, Artsvanik, and Norashenik rivers are significantly affected by mining activities, classified as Category 5 (highest pollution level).
- The Meghri River’s water pollution level 0.5 km upstream from Meghri town is classified as Category 5 for manganese, and at its mouth, it is Category 4 for manganese and aluminum.
- The Vogji River continues to be polluted by acidic drainage waters from the abandoned Central Mine in Kapan, as well as by industrial waste and discharges from the Kapan Mining and Processing Plant and the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Plant.
- Pollutants in the Vogji River include molybdenum, manganese, cobalt, potassium, and cadmium.
Corporate Social Responsibility
- In 2020, “Lichqvaz” CJSC had 35 employees, increasing to 66 in 2021.
- In 2020, the company provided 4,161,293 AMD worth of food aid to the Goris Municipality.
- In 2021, 6,914,925 AMD was transferred to the Meghri Municipality's extrabudgetary account as financial assistance.
- Additionally, 570,000 AMD was allocated as financial aid to two individuals.
- The company did not pay royalties in 2020–2021.
February 12, 2025 at 15:17