MES Didn't Carry Out Technical Safety Experiments of Teghout Tailing Dump

MES Didn't Carry Out Technical Safety Experiments of Teghout Tailing Dump

EcoLur

The safety issue of the tailing dump of Teghout copper and molybdenum mine remains open. Currently, 'Teghout' CJSC is transferring its property to the VTB Bank and it is unclear who has undertaken responsibility to ensure the safety of Teghout tailing dump, especially in case when 'Teghout' CJSC has acknowledged that the indicators of the tailing dump sustainability don't comply with the highest standards of the Armenian and international legislation. As EcoLur has learned, the tailing dump hasn't undergone technical safety experiments. EcoLur has applied to National Center for Technical Safety of RA MES requesting to provide the copy of the technical safety certificate issued to Teghout tailing dump and the experiments act of Teghout tailing dump for further examination. In reply, Chief Secretary of RA Ministry for Emergency Situations Vahagn Ohanyan informed EcoLur in writing. What about experiments acts, we would like to inform that such acts don't exist as there is no such requirement in the sector of technical safety. What about the positive statement issued by National Center for Technical Safety of RA MES to Teghout tailing dump in 2017, the ministry letter says, ' National Center for Technical Safety of RA MES has carried out expert assessment of the technical safety of this industrial hazardous object in April 2017 and in the given period no problems with the dam of the tailing dump were detected, afterwards the company operated it safely for over 8 months, consequently, the Center doesn't possess any information what kind of problems were emerged in this time period, as the expert assessment of technical safety is carried out based on the application submitted by the stakeholder and the contract signed afterwards.

At the same time we would like to inform you that in line with the requirements of Article 19 of RA Law 'On State Regulation of Ensuring Technical Safety', the person operating the industrial hazardous object shall carry out examinations in the course of the entire operation of the industrial hazardous object in order to prevent industrial accidents and man-made accidents, which have been carried out by the company. Currently, the company is designing the reclaiming of the tailing dump, which will cover a number of events aimed at the preservation of the sustainability of the dam of the tailing dump and the exclusion of leaks.'

September 27, 2018 at 16:32