Amulsar project cause of public concern
Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received last Saturday Mr Howard Stevenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lydian International, which implements the Amulsar project in Armenia.
Armenia’s premier highlighted the implementation of this major foreign investment project.
For his part, Mr Howard Stevenson informed Armenia’s premier of approved funding for the Amulsar project, with construction to start in the coming months. A total of US $400m is expected to be invested in the project.
Environmentalists and the Gndevaz and Jermuk residents living nearby are seriously concerned over development of the mine. About two years ago the Gdevaz residents held a protest as the operation of the mine could pose health risks.
Activist Karen Barseghyan told Tert.am that some of the local residents may leave the village if they feel health risks.
Head of the Gndevaz village community Harutyun Mkrtchyan says that several debates have been organized, but the villagers do not know the mine will be put into operation in a few months.
“We cannot feel calm. Our community does not want the mine to be operated, and we propose creating conditions for the local residents – land and cattle insurance. We have fears about cyanide because they are too close to our community. We have raised the problems many times, even at the government level. Some of the problems have been solved, while others have not. It is not only our community’s problem, but of Vaiots Dzor and Jermuk as well. We are all worried. We cannot convince people this open mine cannot harm them,” Mr Mkrtchyan said.
According to environmentalists, the Amulsar gold field project poses a risk as the company intends to use sodium cyanide in the extraction of gold and silver. Sodium cyanide is a poison which can cause death within 2-4 hours. Geoteam CJSC, which is owned by the Lydian International Limited offshore, intends to implement a gold extraction project just a kilometer away from the Arpa river, which supplies water to the Vaiots Dzor region. Moreover, the Gnevaz village is located just 1.2km away, while the resort town of Jermuk is 7.6km away.
Environmentalist Levon Galstyan believes the Amulsar project is unacceptable.
“This is not an investment project. Rather, it is part of a depletion program, which poses unpredictable risks to the region. I do not know any independent expert in Armenia that has said the mine can be operated, but the government has turned a blind eye t it. It will cause more environmental damage than any possible benefits from its operation,” he said.
Environmentalists addressed an open letter to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and to the EBRD Ombudsman offices and raised the Amulsar project problem. The IFC and the EBRD are holders of the Lydian International control stock.
In their letter the environmentalists demanded that the IFC and EBRD relinquish their shares in the business and view the Amulsar project as posing unpredictable risks to the region’s strategic natural resources.
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