EcoLur
The NGOs having taken part in the public hearings on the construction project of the tailing dump of Mego Gold Company in Meliq Village on 27 November think that a new complex project should be presented on the development of Tukhmanuk gold mine.
In their statement to Aram Harutyunyan, Minister of Nature Protection, they noted, “On 27 November 2012 “Mego Gold” Company organized public hearings on the construction project of a new tailing dump in Meliq Village, Aragatsotn Region. The public hearings were participated by Meliq villagers and Village Head Hakob Mkrtchyan, “Mego Gold” LLC Director Ahsot Poghosyan, “Mego Gold” LLC Deputy Director Henrikh Mkrtchyan, Nature Protection Ministry “Environmental Expertise” SCNO Expert Laura Balayan, Head of Environmental Department of “Lernametalurgiakan Institute” Hovik Nikoghosyan, public representatives – Greens Union Chairman Hakob Sanasaryan, “Shogher” Union Chairman Hasmik Aslanyan, Yerevan Aarhus Center Coordinator Silva Ayvazyan, Aparan Aarhus Center Coordinator Natalya Manukyan, Lawyer of Aarhus Centers Arthur Grigoryan, expert-hydrologist Qnarik Hovhannisyan, Editor of http://www.ecolur.org/ Victoria Burnazyan and mass media. Nevertheless, the minutes of the public hearings were not drawn up on the spot.
The participants put their signatures on a separate sheet of paper, which should be attached to the minutes. Meanwhile, a part of the participants, such as the representative of the Environmental Expertise Laura Balayan and Developer Hovik Nikaghosyan left the hall before the end of the hearings. Meliq Village Head Hakob Mkrtchyan stated that the villagers will express their opinions within a month.
We, public representatives, were not acquainted with the text of the minutes and think that the procedure of hearings minutes taking was violated, and consequently, the minutes, as an official document, should be recognized null and void.
Then, under the project:
1. We consider it necessary that Mego Gold Company to meet the demand of the local population and introduce it into the project:
a) the plan of reclamation of two tailing dumps with diagrams and cost of actions. If the company intends to extract the gold it contains, the activities of tail processing should also be included into the project.
b) an alternative of Tukhmanuk gold mine development in closed method,
c) to estimate the damage caused to farms in Meliq Village or plan of actions for consequence minimization,
d) in case of production expansion, to present a plan for forced resettlement.
2. In the course of the public hearings in Meliq Village on 27 November, Company Director Ashot Poghosyan stated that there are plans to expand production and mining volumes, while the issue of new tailing dumps may arise. For the purpose of correct assessment of risks for hazardous objects and supposed actions of Mego Golf Company we think it’s necessary for the company to present a complex project, where the integral part of the project will be the construction of new tailing dumps. The project should also present measures on prevention of environmental pollution.
3. In the presented project the components of tails don’t comply with scientific data (Sh. Khachatryan, “Geochemical characteristics of Tukhmanuk Gold Mine (Aragatsotn Region)”, “Procs of Yerevan State University, 3 (223), 2010). We would ask the developer company to submit the methodology and experimental findings.
4. Developer Hovik Nikaghosyan has tightly connected the construction of a new tailing dump and employment at the plant. “If there is no tailing dump, there will be no mine operating, if there is no mine operating, there will be no plant operating… Everything depends on you, if you don’t want, you can reject, and the mining industry will be closed down in Meliq Village…” We value this statement as misinformation, as the company is able to present an alternative, for example, to conclude an agreement with other ore processing plant.”
December 04, 2012 at 12:44