EcoLur
EcoLur has addressed a letter to Nature Protection Minister Aramayis Grigoryan to ensure the rights of Fioletovo Villagers in the public discussion of the EIA of Fioletovo Gold Mining Project. The letter particularly says,
“Mr. Minister,
Currently “Environmental Expertise” SNCO is dealing with issuing an opinion to Fioletovo Gold Mining Project submitted by “Grade RedMet” LLC.
Fioletovo Villagers have applied to EcoLur, as the project has direct impact on them. It turned out that two public hearings of the project were held with the violations of the whole procedure of public participation. The village is inhabited with the Old Believers, who don’t know any other language but the Russian language. Definitely the state language is Armenia, but here the fact should be taken into consideration these people live in a distance of 1 km from the future mine, while their health and economic activities may be jeopardized by mining.
The public hearings should have been held with the most possible ensuring the awareness of the people both about the EIA and their right to participation in decision-making, which hasn’t been carried out.
Grade RedMet” LLC, which was in charge of organizing the public hearings, didn’t ensure the translation of the EIA for the locals and didn’t make them aware of the procedure of public hearings about the date and how they shall express their opinions and who is competent to make decisions (in this case, it’s the Nature Protection Ministry as represented by “Environmental Expertise” SNCO). The villagers handed us the minutes of the hearings, which were held on 25 November 2014 in Fioletovo Village. The minutes say they expressed their common negative opinion on the project. The problem is that neither the villagers nor the village head has no idea how their negative opinions should be recorded officially.
We wouldn’t like to accuse the company of partiality, which should have ensured the organization of the public hearings, but it’s evident that the complete non-awareness of the people what the process of expertise is and how their participation in the public discussion of the project EIA is ensured, is a gross violation of their legitimate rights.
Fioletovo Villagers addressed their letter complaints to different bodies, where they expressed their protest: Premiere, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russian Federation to Armenia, Vanadzor Mayor, entrepreneur Ruben Vardanyan etc.
In this tense situation the specialized hearings were appointed at the Nature Protection Ministry on 23 December 2014, which was not held because of technical reasons. It should be mentioned that the villagers, including the head of the village, were not informed about these hearings and they learnt about it only from EcoLur.
Mr. Minister, we would like to draw your attention that Fioletovo Village has zero migration. During 200 years these people lived in Armenia, their second hometown after Russia and preserved their traditions and language.
We would like to ask you to ensure the villagers’ right to participation in decision-making on environmental expertise, to obligate the company to ensure the awareness of the villagers on the project EIA and to take into the consideration the opinion of the villagers expressed in many letters and the minutes of the public hearings held on 25 November 2014 in Fioletovo. We are attaching the minutes of the public hearings dated on 25 November handed by the Fioletovo villagers."
January 12, 2015 at 15:28