EcoLur
The main question whether the construction of a cyanic plant in Meghradzor Village is still in force and it has been withdrawn, has an affirmative reply. On April 6 when EcoLur working group visited Meghradzor Village, its village head Karlen Hovhannisyan stated the issue was solved and Meghradzor Gold Company owner Vardan Margaryan refused from a cyanic plant. He also stated he won't allow villagers to incur damage. During our visit to the village there were disputes between farmers and Meghradzor Gold Company employees, which increasingly escalated. The Village head accused EcoLur of creating tension. Nevertheless, the video provided by EcoLur shows that the situation got tense in the course of the public hearings held by Meghradzor Gold Company and Meghradzor administration on 5 December 2012 in Meghradzor.
On April 10 2013 we visited the environmental expertise department of Nature Protection Ministry and asked to provide us the minutes of the public hearings on the plant project, where EcoLur also took part in. It should be noted that the request on providing the documents was submitted to the Ministry still on 28.03.2013. Nevertheless, we were not given any minutes and we were told our request should be officially signed. It should be noted that the minutes of public hearings is an open document, which doesn’t need special permits for provision. Both the refusal to provide it and its delay violate the first part of the Aarhus Convention – access to information on environmental matters, as well as its second part – public participation in decision-making on environmental matters. It’s not the first time that Nature protection Ministry creates obstacles for adequate public participation thus violation both the rights of stakeholders and provisions of international documents, under which they assumed responsibilities.
April 10, 2013 at 15:09