EcoLur
“Mika-Cement” CJSC has appointed public hearings on the development project of marl limestone mine in Ardanish Village, Gegharkounik Region, on 22 February. As it turned out, the project itself couldn’t be found either in the village or in the company or with the environmental expertise. The project wasn’t displayed on the website of Nature Protection Ministry either. What Ardanish villagers were going to discuss with the administration of “Mika-Cement” Company was left a mystery, as after short discussions Village Head Karen Shushunyan asked EcoLur working group to leave the room not to disturb the meeting with the company. Below we present the recording of these strange hearings, which were considered to be held by “Environmental Expertise” SNCO expert Azganush Drnoyan. So, here are the participants: company top management headed by General Director Naira Martirosyan, “Environmental Expertise” SNCO expert Azganush Drnoyan, EcoLur working group, “Trchkan” civic initiative member Levon Galstyan and Ardanish villagers.
Naira Martirosyan: This mine is marl limestone, which is used as raw materials for cement and this mine is of high significance. It is developed in opencast manner. We established good conditions, a road laid through the village. For so many years we haven’t had any problems with the development, thanks to the village administration, it supports us in everything. We take part in the village development, create jobs etc. The plant has been operating with incomplete capacity in recent years and the works at the mine continue 3 months a year. The reason is high cost of railway transportation, that’s why we reduced the export of cement, consequently the mining as well.
Mika-Cement representative (no name mentioned): The project describes the geology, ore composition and drilling works. You are interested in the environmental part of the project. We don’t pollute air, there is 5-7% humidity during mining, no explosion works are carried out, excavators and tractors are used. We use flushing machines for roads. Flushing solves all environmental problems.
Naira Martirosyan: If we mined 200 tons several years ago, now the volume has decreased, that’s why we load with large particles, which reduces dust load.
Azganush Drnoyan: Public hearings are held under the law on expertise. This very project was issued a positive opinion of the environmental expertise in 2006, while this project has no essential changes, while mining volume is not increased, but reduced. The project has been submitted to the Sevan Committee, which issued its positive opinion, the expertise goes in the set procedure.
Inga Zarafyan: May we get familiar with the opinion of the Sevan Committee?
Azganush Drnoyan: You may, but I haven’t brought the opinion with me. I’ll just say it doesn’t mention any remarks, as it’s the continuation of the previous project with reduced volumes.
Naira Martirosyan: We have gathered here for the villagers to express their opinions. We will show you the documents later. Now let’s listen to people. What about the mine, there were problems 5-7 years ago in regard with wrong development of the mine, but they were resolved. These are technical problems.
Inga Zarafyan: Are these public hearings specialized ones?
Azganush Drnoyan: Under the law, the hearings are held twice. This is the first one.
Karen Shushanyan: We don’t have any pollution. The worst thing is that the mine is not developed and this creates many problems for people. We have 43 people employed at the mine. And I express my gratitude to our people, as they work for people. I’ll repeat, we don’t have any environmental problems. Just some dust in the summer, so that’s why we ask to flush...
Inga Zarafyan: Mr. Village Head, you told us before the public hearings, you sent a letter to Nature Protection Ministry in regard to this project. You don’t have the project?
Village Head: We don’t have the project: we looked it through and sent it back.
Inga Zarafyan: Why?
Village Head: Because we had already discussed it.
Azganush Drnoyan: We received the letter, which said you had discussed it and agreed to it. We replied public hearings should be held and this letter doesn’t satisfy us.
Inga Zarafyan: Here is my question, what kind of project we are discussing, if none of us has it now, neither you, nor the village, nor the company.
Company Representative: These are the third hearings.
Inga Zarafyan: You told, this is the first one.
Company Representative: I mean starting from 2006.
Naira Martirosyan: We don’t have serious changes, either ne mine or technologies. We are discussing the same. The villagers are definitely interested whether it’s good or bad. Are they specialists? They want to know whether or not there will be dust, whether equipment is hazardous, whether or not we pollute water, whether or not we spoil the road.
Nikolay Davtyan, EcoLur: That’s why experts are invited to explain how a project may be hazardous.
Naira Martirosyan: We have already explained it.
Nikolay Davtyan: You didn’t explain, you said everything will be fine, there will be jobs, but you say nothing about risks.
Naira Martirosyan: Every year we speak about the same. What kind of risks are you speaking about? The road is out of the village, the machinery operates out of the village, the crusher too, we work only three months. No dust.
Inga Zarafyan: What about the old project, did the villagers have looked it through?
Ardanish Villagers: No, we haven’t seen it.
Levon Galstyan: This project is not available on the website. If I want to get familiar with the project, I can’t find it. If I can’t look it through, how will I discuss it? Maybe it says something that will harm me, maybe no, how I should know, I should read it. Under the law, this project should be available here, so as everybody could get familiar with it.
Naira Martirosyan: The villagers have been familiar with this project for already 25 years, What do you want to hear from the villagers about the benefit and the harm? Let them say.
Levon Galstyan: Let’s speak under the law. You are the initiator of the hearings and you should provide opportunities to present the project, so as people could express their opinions, for example, I can’t express it.
Naira Martirosyan: You can’t, but these people can, you are saying the same all the time, the chief engineer has presented everything to you.
Azganush Drnoyan: The law says you may express your opinion through examining the documents or listening what is said about them. This is up to them, whoever wants can get familiar, whoever wants can listen to.
Village head: Instead of saying thank you, you have arrived here and demonstrate tricks.
Naira Martirosyan: I have had the license for 25 years, this is the third license. Every two years it’s abrogated. Can you explain why? The project is prepared, if there are serious changes, but we don’t have any changes here. Why do I need a new project?
Secretary of Village Administration: The youth doesn’t work and now there are here waiting at the doors.
Here the recording finishes, as Village Head Karen Shushanyan declared that EcoLur had turned on the equipment and left the administration building. Under him, the villagers have their questions to the company and they want to discuss them without any foreigners. In reply to question whether the hearings are closed, the village head and company representative said it was closed. The representative of the environmental expertise, Karen Shushanyan and “Mika-Cement” were not considered as foreigners and they were allowed to stay there.
In near future EcoLur will present its opinion about the hearings.
March 01, 2013 at 17:15