On March 21, 2023, the second public hearing of the application for the environmental impact assessment of the Loriberd-2 small hydroelectric power plant construction project of "Lorva Amrots" LLC was held in Lori Berd and Gyulagarak communities in Lori Region. In both Lori Baird and Gyulagarak communities, more than 100 people attended the hearings, who were demanding jobs.
President of "EcoLur" Informational NGO Inga Zarafyan announced, "We are discussing a project by which they want to build a small hydropower plant on a river that is on the list of rivers prohibited for the construction of new small hydropower plants. I am surprised that the representatives of the same government do not say that there is a serious legal dispute between the company and the government. The administrative court upheld the claim of "Lorva Amrots" LLC against the Armenian government. According to the decision of the administrative court, the Dzoraget river should be removed from the list of prohibited rivers.
The government appealed that decision to the Administrative Appeals Court, and the case is not over yet. In other words, Dzoraget river remains in the list of prohibited rivers. This circumstance must be considered.
"EcoLur" information NGO is convinced:
• the public hearings were held in a tense and oppressive atmosphere,
• it remained unknown whether or not the large number of people present were residents of the affected communities,
• it remained unknown what happened to the document where Gyulagarak community expressed its disagreement regarding the application of "Lorva Amrots" LLC
• it is a question of how Environmental Impact Expert Assessment Center of RA Environment Ministry should make a decision when the legal dispute between the RA government and Lorva Amrots LLC has not ended, and the Dzoraget River remains a new in the list of rivers prohibited for the construction of small hydropower plants.
It should also be noted that Narek Tonoyan, explaining the lawfulness of the examination process regarding the application, referred to the fact that he has a water use permit for "Loribird-2" HPP from RA Environment Ministry. The company received the water usage permit as a result of a court dispute. RA Environment Ministry did not appeal that problematic decision, which caused "Lorva Amrots" LLC to continue the process regarding the construction of "Loribird-2" HPP.
Considering the above, we believe that Environmental Impact Expert Assessment Center of RA Environment Ministry should issue a negative conclusion to the environmental impact assessment application of "Loribird-2" small hydropower plant construction project.
March 24, 2023 at 16:55