ArmInfo
Protest action against iron-ore deposit development will be held in Hrazdan on March 31.
Experts have repeatedly reported that the development of the Hrazdan deposit may lead to an environmental disaster, as the deposit is at 800 meters from the town of Hrazdan and at 1.5 kilometers from the River Hrazdan. According to environmentalists, the deposit development may pollute the town with heavy density metals and cause dangerous diseases among the local population.
Children will be especially endangered, as at less than 2 kilometers from the deposit there are three schools. According to assessments of experts, the development of the deposit will result in pollution of not only irrigation water, but also drinking water, as there are several springs near the hill of the deposit, and hundreds of people use these springs.
Ore mining at the Hrazdan deposit will start in 2014 and the mining output will total 1.5-2 mln tons per year. It is noteworthy that all the three mines to be developed by the Chinese company Fortune Oil (in Hrazdan, Abovyan and Svarants village) belong to Souren Ayvazyan, the son of the former minister of nature protection of Armenia Vardan Ayvazyan, and to Armenian MP Tigran Arzakantsyan.
WHY BUSINESSMEN ARE INDIFFERENT?
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Tomorrow a protest demonstration will be held in Hrazdan Town against iron mine development. EcoLur Ngo Head Inga Zarafyan wonders why Nature protection Ministry has assigned this territory to “Nagin” Company not taking into consideration it is a favorable spot for tourism. Besides that, she considers the indifference of businessmen having made investments in tourism also not understandable.
March 30, 2011