Armanis settlement of Stepanavan Community in Lori Region and the people living there are in the zone of impact of chemical pollution. Armanis gold-polymetallic mine is located here, industrial waste and dumps are located. They are the cause of regular soil and water pollution in the surrounding areas and the deterioration of the health of the local population.
According to the soil management contract ՊՎ-093 between RA Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and Sagamar CJSC dated on 20.12.2012, the company was to operate the mine by 2049. However, the mine was closed in 2015.
During the media campaign organized by " Center for Community Consolidation and Support " NGO in Lori region, President of "EcoLur" Informational NGO Inga Zarafyan mentioned, “Leaks from Armanis gold-polymetallic mine, industrial waste dumps, spread unhindered into the environment, flood the Chknagh River, the fields of local residents and adjacent lands, are spread by wind, and penetrate into houses with dust.
Examples of heavy metal concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc were found in samples taken from the environment and humans. The discovered metals are also present in the ore of Armanis mine, which become a source of pollution after the extraction of gold, silver, other non-ferrous precious metals.”
It should be noted that according to the soil management contract, 14,647.0 thousand tons of ore is estimated in Armanis mine, out of which 12316.4 kg of gold, 161.2 tons of silver, 158.6 thousand tons of copper, 381.000 tons of zinc, 178.100 tons of lead, 2358.2 tons of cadmium, 83.0 tons of bismuth, 69.3 tons of selenium, 355.3 thousand tons of sulfur. “If to mention about sulfur that it is a source of acid drainage. In the vicinity of Armanis ore processing complex, EcoLur camera captured acid water ponds, acid drainage streams that flow into the gorge, then into the Chknagh River,” Inga Zarafyan noted.
The representatives of Sagamar CJSC and several local residents guided by them tried to prevent the media campaign. They made accusatory remarks against the participants of the media campaign. "The mine was closed because of you as you wrote it is harmful. We will now ask the company and the authorities to re-operate the mine for the benefit of the region. You are here now, you will go, you will forget us, whereas we will be left alone with our problems," the resident said.
Oleg Dulgaryan, President of Center for Community Consolidation and Support NGO, responded that the mine is not currently operating on the company's own initiative, and not as a result of public alarm signals. "We do not want to close the existing mines, we want to make their operation as safe as possible, so that the mining industry causes as little damage to the environment as possible," Oleg Dulgaryan said.
It should be noted that in the communities of Armenia, where there are mining enterprises, they are the main employers in the region and they "acquire" certain tools of influence towards the local population. The main motivation of the locals is to create jobs that promise business. Awareness of local residents about their health and environmental impact risks is very low, which creates opportunities for manipulation, not to take social or environmental responsibility for the community. This was proved once again in the case of Armanis.
December 20, 2021 at 10:21