PEF Will Sue Nature Protection Ministry, if Ministry Issues Positive Opinion to Meghrasar Mining Project

EcoLur

On October 28 public hearings of professional conclusion, head’s opinions of public and affected community took place about working project of Meghrasar gold mining which had been presented for environmental assessment by “AT Metals” LLC. At the hearings were present Karine Movsisyan, chief expert of “Environmental Examination” SNCO of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the RA, Aram Aghasyan-head of the division of management of nature protected areas of the environmental protection agency of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the RA, Harutyun Hovhannisyan- head of the technical division of “AT Metals” corporation, Hovhannes Nikoghosyan- director of “Akunk-Firma” LLC, Levon Galstyan – member of Panarmenian Environmental Front, Monica Yeritsyan- journalist at Ecolur.

Levon Galstyan, “The 6th article of the old law says that the notification procedure of implementation of the planned activity requires that after notification within 15 days public hearings must be held. Were those hearings held?”

Karine Movsisyan, “Since this law had a lot of shortcomings, one of which was the imperfect 6th point according to notification stage, finally no conclusion or no work after notification is expected. That is, if we begin with the notification stage we don’t know what to offer or present to the relevant customer at the end of that notification. That’s why many times depending on the traditional course of our process, the notification stage has somewhat withdrawn. It began from the main examination stage”.

Levon Galstyan, “Thus we violate the 4th point of the 6th article of the RA law on “Examination of the Impact on Environment”, where it’s clearly written that within 15 days after receiving the notification public hearings must be held”. Now it is by tradition or not you violated that point of the law together with the initiator and the head of community, that is the requirements of the 6th article weren’t met, you met only those of the 8th article”.

Aram Aghayan, “Thus are today’s hearing already a violation”? “Yes, because 2 hearings had been held before beginning these hearings”. Every time at the time of this mining project you do with the same logic, and every time we say, the government holds it not taking into account our opinion, it says that we do one hearing”.

Levon Galstyan, “I am categorically against spending these hearings, if you want to continue, you can do, but we shall sue, I guarantee”. The representatives of the Panarmenian Environmental Front left the hall and the hearings continued.

Aram Aghasyan, ““Arevik” national park was established by government decision”. By the appendix of the 3rd decision the suggested borders of “Arevik” national park were determined. By the 3rd subpoint of the 7th point of the same decision there was a recommendation to fulfil description of borders within 2010, adjustment of borders, including the zoning scheme of the national park. That is at this moment “Arevik” national park has no borders, zoning scheme and description of borders. We mentioned that the presented project is partially included in the suggested borders of “Arevik” national park, but we cannot say for sure if it will be included or not while describing the borders, because the description of borders and mapping are serious enough including examination of flora and fauna, where the environmental value of the following area must be clearly shown.

EcoLur, “What about the map of WWF?” Aram Aghasyan, “There are a lot of mistakes here, as WWF was based only on the borders of the area under consideration, and the thing that WWF says that 60 percent is included in it, I can show the other map where only 25-30 percent is included”.

EcoLur, “If the borders are determined and the area of the mine is included in the area of “Arevik” national park, where there are a lot of red-listed species, what should be done in that case?” Harutyun Hovhannisyan, “in the economic zone of the national park development of mineral economy is even allowed, only explosions mustn’t be done”.

Aram Aghasyan, “If explosions are nor planned, it can be”. EcoLur, “Your activities will be accompanied by daily explosions in a 9 magnitude seismic zone”.
Aram Aghasyan, “The examination is just for that. Today we have presented a project. The same examination, certain changes may be done in the same project. I wouldn’t like the changes to be in “Arevik” national park, but even if they are, the examination must show by law that any explosion is excluded”.

EcoLur, “What security measures are intended in case of earthquake?” Participant, “Whose safety shall we provide on the top of the mountain?” Hovhannes Nikoghosyan, “It’s written in the project that there must be groups which will come in case of alarm, the MES and firefighters will approach, the regional administration will be reported, everything is written, and as for the scenarios, it is done and approved by the MES”. EcoLur, “And what about uranium availability?”

Harutyun Hovhannisyan, “The amount of uranium is too low. 2 years ago again we such emergency calls that there is a high level of radioactivity … I have always considered such incomplete information a terrorism against people, when you give the information without explaining, it’s already a weapon. We asked the MES to come and check”. EcoLur, “When did the MES carry out measurements?”

Harutyun Hovhannisyan, “In June or Jule, 2013”. EcoLur, “Is the document here now?” Harutyun Hovhannisyan, “Now it’s not with us, that document is under examination. The document wasn’t with the expert of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the RA, either”.

EcoLur, “What toxic materials and heavy metals are there in dust?” Hovhannes Nokoghosyan, “We have two types of dust-ore dust and concentrate dust. The ore dust is the same dust as that coming from the roads every day”. EcoLur, “Why isn’t it mentioned about toxic materials and heavy metals in the project?”

Hovhannes Nikoghosyan, “Because it’s not clear, that is if you take out the new RA law on “Protection of Atmospheric Air”, the dust is differenced there and we must pay for each separate material in the dust. We will calculate, but we neither such calculation in the law nor such a regulatory norm. During the interview with EcoLur Levon Galstyan, the member of the Panarmenian Environmental Front stated that PEF will sue the Ministry of Nature Protection if the latter realizes Meghrasar mining project.

October 29, 2014 at 15:42