Gndevaz Villagers Were Denied to Be Insured against Amulsar Program Risks

EcoLur

The meeting of Gndevaz villagers with CAО/IFC team, which had arrived in Armenia to examine the complaint against IFC (a member of World Bank) on the incompliance of the standards of social and environmental responsibility for Amulsar open pit gold and silver mining, was held in Gndevaz Village. The complaint had been filed by Gndevaz Villagers, public environmental organizations, “green” public initiatives and individual experts. Reminder: the IFC is not simply an investor to the Amulsar program, but the shareholder of the chartered capital of Lydian International Company, which implements Amulsar project as represented by its subsidiary Geoteam Company. The Ombudsman’s Office of the IFC, in its turn, recognized the complaint as grounded. In Gndevaz Village the residents told us that Geoteam Company started the discussion on the new program. “Geoteam representatives met with us on 17 December 2015 and told us that the program was not entirely completed and they wanted to talk to us. We arranged with Armen Stepanyan, Manager on Environmental and Social Matters, they we will write the forma of the new hearings. We sent the letter to Geoteam, which says that the meeting must be held in the format of a round table with the mandatory participation of the mass media. Armen called and asked us, why we needed mass media. I answered it’s the main condition, so as our community and our people know what we will be taking and arranging about in order to ensure transparency. We also told him that experts and people from Nature Protection Ministry and Committee on Lake Sevan Issues should attend it, who had put their signatures under the positive opinion of the project. We demanded all the risks to be insured – risks for water, land areas, orchards, animals, human health. Historically, our village has developed in one direction, where now the heap leach plant will be constructed. From one side we have the gorge, on the other side is Jermuk and Amulsar is on the third side. That’s why we planted our orchards and constructed houses stretching along the road. Now I can’t build a new house for my sun, as nobody will want to construct in a place where a heap leach plant is. After 20-25 days we received a reply from Geoteam, which says that they will consider our conditions, if it’s submitted by the village administration. We didn’t apply to the village head, as they wouldn’t submit our demands, and we are sick and tired of disputing,” Gndevaz villagers said.

May 02, 2016 at 18:51