On July 18, 2024, a group of citizens opposing Karmirsar limestone marl mining held a protest in Yerevan during a press conference initiated by "ORD" LLC.
It should be noted that on July 10, the company initiated the 4th public discussions on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of Karmirsar limestone marl (pumice stone) mine in Ginevet settlement, Ararat Region, which took place in a tense atmosphere among a number of residents of the affected settlements: they were not allowed to attend the hearings, depriving them of the opportunity to express their position.
In his interview with journalists ahead of the press conference planned in Yerevan, Mher Karagyozyan, President of "Public Control" Human Rights NGO, said: "We will pursue that the public hearings be recognized as illegal, we will pursue that the mine is not opened.
Ani Avagyan, representing the family that invested about 1 million dollars in the village of Aygezard in the zone affected by the company's project, said: "My parents started work 10 years ago and planted gardens. We are against the mine because it will harm the nature and the gardens."
During the press conference, when asked by journalists whether the method of not allowing citizens to enter the hearings held in Ginevet and using a police wall was legal, the representative of "ORD Group LLC" Arsen Mirzoyan stated that they did not have any authority in connection with the organization of the public hearing and the admission of residents to the site of the public hearing. “The site of the public hearing is determined by the Ministry of Environment.”
EcoLur’s journalist Kristine Ter-Matevosyan mentioned that a cement factory is already operating in Ararat Region, and the residents of the affected settlements have repeatedly spoken about the large amount of dust in the air, the pollution of their lands, and the adverse impact on the environment. The latter asked whether the speakers of the press conference, considering the company's plan harmless, are ready to move and live near the mine. In response, Arsen Mirzoyan responded, "We will use modern technologies in our project, and besides, our production volumes will be smaller than at the Ararat cement factory."
Watch the video for the details.
July 19, 2024 at 17:51