EcoLur
Meghradzor villagers and “NO to Cyanide in Meghradzor” civic initiative will organize a protest demonstration in front of the Armenian President’s seat to oppose to the construction of a cyanic plant in Meghradzor at 12:00 on 25 January. The application addressed to the President has been signed by 500 Meghradzor villagers, which says, “A cyanic plant is intended to be constructed in the heart of the resort zone of Armenia, Tsaghkazdor-Meghradzor-Hanqavan. Our village Meghradzor is threatened to turn into an area of environmental disaster. It’s already a month since Meghradzor Gold Company has been exercising pressure on the villagers, which oppose to the project. On 23 December the company brought its employees directly from galleries at the general meeting of the village, so as to make our voices not heard. The meeting was presided not by the village head, but Meghradzor Gold Director Vardan Margaryan.
We know about threats, which expect to Meghradzor in case this project is implemented, though the company and project developers seek to cheat us saying that cyanic plant is safe. Sodium cyanide, which should be used in production, is included in the list of most hazardous substances, and was used for mass poisoning of people in concentration camps during World War 2. Now it’s planned to be used here, in Meghradzor. Each cycle of production threatens a hazard – during transportation, storage, preparation of solutions and gold extraction. While the project says nothing about these risks. They write the cycle is closed, though it’s knows there are no absolutely closed cycles. There is a human factor, technical factor, at last breakdown factor.
If any factor works, the projected closed cycle will turn into a disaster. Cyanic disasters regularly take place in the world. As a result of dam break in 2000 in Baia Mare, Romania, cyanide spilled into the Tisza River, while this disaster was recognized as the second most terrible one for Europe after the Chernobyl. In 1998 during the transportation of sodium cyanide to the Kumtor Operating Company in Kyrgyzstan plunged off a bridge spilling almost two tons of sodium cyanide (1,762 kilograms) into the Barskoon River. During the accident the sodium cyanide leaked, which resulted in the contamination of water. 2577 people were detected with symptoms of cyanide intoxication, 4 people died.
If leakage of cyanides takes place in Meghradzor, they will get directly into the Marmarik River jeopardizing the residents of Marmarik, Aghavnadzor and Hrazdan. The project doesn’t contain any calculations, which would take into consideration the high seismicity of our region, absence of any data about radioactive elements, there is no map for uranium distribution. Probable contamination of soil, water and air in case of emergencies is not presented. The project assessed damage according to a formula, but the formula doesn’t include the coefficient for resort zone, when damage assessment increases dozen times.
Meghradzor mine already contaminates the village. The company speaks only about gold mining. But they never speak that the ore contains mercury, lead, arsenic, bismuth, besides gold and silver, i.e. the most toxic elements. On the internet we read articles that arsenic causes lung cancer, lead causes cancer of kidney, stomach, intestine, it destroys liver, teeth and causes abnormalities in fetus development. Mercury causes mental retardation, infertility of both women and men. And now the company contaminates the village dumping wastes, which contain these toxic metals into the territory of the village. If the plant is constructed, the volume of wastes will increase and the existing risks for Meghradzor will boost many times. But the project wasn’t even sent to the Health Ministry, though according to Article 5 of RA Law “On Environmental Impact Expert Assessment”, assessment of the impact on health is mandatory. After several years Meghradzor mine will be closed down, the company will leave, while Meghradzor-Hanqavan resort zone will turn into a dead zone, which will lead to mass migration. We ask you to stop this hazardous project as a guarantor of lawfulness and our right to health and healthy environment prescribed by the Constitution, which undermined the existence of Meghradzor-Hanqavan rezort zone, agricultural activities of communities and our further dwelling in this territory.”
January 24, 2013 at 18:53