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OCCUPY TEGHUT?: YEAR BEGINS WITH NEW PROTEST OF MINING EXPLOITATION
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
11.01.12 | 14:22
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will be deleted. You have to be registered to be able leave your
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On January 15, a new initiative will be launched by "Let's Save
Teghut Forest" environmental group, with the intention of reversing
a government order to allow further mining exploitation.
Enlarge Photo ACP general director Valery Mezhlumyan
It has been more than four years -- since November 2007 -- that
environmentalists have tried to stop the development of further
copper and molybdenum processing near the village of Teghut in the
Lori province, where even villagers who are employed by the Armenian
Copper Program (ACP) Company have opposed further expansion. The
Teghut and Shnogh villages of the Lori province are some four-six
kilometers far from the mine; the population of Teghut is 976 people,
of Shnogh is 3,139 people.
Gor Hakobyan, leader of the action group says a group of protesters
will travel to Teghut on Sunday to present new objections to
construction of a tailings depot that would consume about 357 hectares
of forest. The blasting phase of open-pit mining is expected to begin
in mid-spring.
On January 15, in the morning, participants of the initiative by buses
will leave for Vanadzor, the Lori provincial center, where they will
be joined by local activists. A short updating event will take place
there, after which they will continue their journey to Teghut, where
they will hold an action of protest walking about four kilometers.
Hakobyan says that the new program of Teghut protection will be
presented only on the day of their hiking tour.
Chairman of Armenia~Rs Union of Greens Hakob Sanasaryan says that a
Government decision reached in November 2007 giving permission for
the company to expand has no legal basis, and it has reached based
on unsubstantiated documents.
There are miscalculations, money misuse, and falsifications in the
project. Public hearings have not been held," Sanasaryan says.
Yet since 2009, environmental organizations have lodged a claim in
the administrative court of Armenia, litigating the decision of the
Government, as well as the ministries of Nature Protection, and Energy
and Natural Resources. They cite violations of the Constitution of
Armenia, state laws, and Armenia's international obligations within
the framework of the Aarhus Convention in the claim. The claim has
been dismissed.
In 2010, the same environmental organizations appealed to the
corresponding commission of the Aarhus Convention in Geneva. In 2010
they received a draft conclusion paper, stating that the Republic of
Armenia had failed to secure efficient public participation in the
process of decision making related to Teghut mining project.
Environmentalist Karine Danielyan, who heads the "For Sustainable Human
Development" NGO, says that as a result of the environmental struggle
a reforestation, ecological and compensation program has been drafted,
however, it will not pay back all the damages that will appear when
the mine is developed.
"The open-pit mining in such a unique forest area as Teghut proves
that we have short-term thinking, and the short-term economic thinking
is absolutely anti-ecological," Danielyan says.
Unlike environmentalists, Minister of Nature Protection Aram
Harutyunyan believes Teghut mining project is not a loss but rather
an achievement.
"We are not wrong about Teghut, it is a project which is confirmed by
law and it has passed all the instances. It will be implemented under
our control and will secure big profits for our country," Harutyunyan.
Eighty one percent of the company's shares belong to the
Liechtenstein-registered Valex F.M.Establishment Company, and 19
percent to Russia-based entrepreneur, ACP general director Valery
Mejlumyan.
Mejlumyan said that more than $350 million will be invested in the
construction project of Ore Processing Combine in Teghut and Teghut
Copper and Molybdenum Mine development. The company has already
invested more than $100 million in the construction works.
"The remaining $250 million will be drawn in the upcoming two years.
In fact, in two years the Ore Processing Combine in Teghut will start
running and it will produce about 28,000 tons of copper concentrate
annually," Mejlumyan said.
Currently about 23,000 tons of copper concentrate is produced
in Armenia, a great part of which is produced by Zangezur Copper
Molybdenum Plant in Kajaran, Syunik province. After the development
of Teghut mine, more than 50,000 tons of copper concentrate will be
produced in Armenia annually.
According to the State Revenue Committee, in 2010 about 116,000 tons
of copper ore and concentrate were exported from Armenia, whereas
in 2009 that index was less by 42 percent (81,500 tons). In 2010,
at the expense of copper and other non-ferrous metals the volumes
of export registered a 40 percent growth. In 2010, Armenia sold 210
million dollars' worth of copper ore.
Wires, cable, devices, heat exchangers, forged and molding sculptures,
jewelry, art and household goods, etc., are made of copper. Copper
combination is also used in making inorganic paints, artificial silk,
as well as for fighting against plant diseases and agricultural
vermin. Copper is also used in leather and fur production and in
medicine.
Environmentalists state that 170,833 trees will be cut as part of the
company's exploitation. There are as many as 55,000 rare and 45,000
valuable trees in the Teghut forests, as well as plants and animal
species registered in the Red Book that could be endangered if the
forests are destroyed.
According to environmentalists, 1,491 hectares of land area are
given for mining, and about 82 percent of that land (1,232 hectares)
is forest area. If the project is implemented then 357 hectares
forests will fully be logged. The waste will be disposed of by means
of tailings to the gorge of the Dukanadzor River. The development of
the mine will result in creation of about 500 million tons of tailings
and 600 million tons of other kind of waste.
Tailings, (also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or
slickens) are the materials left over after the process of separating
the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction (gangue) of an ore.
Tailings are distinct from overburden or waste rock, which are the
materials overlying an ore or mineral body that are displaced during
mining without being processed. Land fertility is quite low in the
areas which are polluted with tailings.
It is feared that the tailings depots which contain silver, rhenium,
tin, arsenic, molybdenum, copper, zinc, sulfuric compounds, as well
as other chemicals which are used in mining and ore procession will
pollute the rivers in the region. (There are four rivers there.)
Helsinki Committee Chairman Avetik Ishkhanyan, who is worried about
the Teghut issue, says that there is no mine development strategy in
Armenia, and at least in 50 years the country will be fully robbed.
There will be ruins in the places of the developed mines, and nothing
will be left for future generations.
"I have personally promised that if Teghut mine in developed I will
go, sit and protest. We must unite," he concludes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
11.01.12 | 14:22
Pertaining to the topic or containing slander or offensive language
will be deleted. You have to be registered to be able leave your
comment. Sign in or Register now for free.
On January 15, a new initiative will be launched by "Let's Save
Teghut Forest" environmental group, with the intention of reversing
a government order to allow further mining exploitation.
Enlarge Photo ACP general director Valery Mezhlumyan
It has been more than four years -- since November 2007 -- that
environmentalists have tried to stop the development of further
copper and molybdenum processing near the village of Teghut in the
Lori province, where even villagers who are employed by the Armenian
Copper Program (ACP) Company have opposed further expansion. The
Teghut and Shnogh villages of the Lori province are some four-six
kilometers far from the mine; the population of Teghut is 976 people,
of Shnogh is 3,139 people.
Gor Hakobyan, leader of the action group says a group of protesters
will travel to Teghut on Sunday to present new objections to
construction of a tailings depot that would consume about 357 hectares
of forest. The blasting phase of open-pit mining is expected to begin
in mid-spring.
On January 15, in the morning, participants of the initiative by buses
will leave for Vanadzor, the Lori provincial center, where they will
be joined by local activists. A short updating event will take place
there, after which they will continue their journey to Teghut, where
they will hold an action of protest walking about four kilometers.
Hakobyan says that the new program of Teghut protection will be
presented only on the day of their hiking tour.
Chairman of Armenia~Rs Union of Greens Hakob Sanasaryan says that a
Government decision reached in November 2007 giving permission for
the company to expand has no legal basis, and it has reached based
on unsubstantiated documents.
There are miscalculations, money misuse, and falsifications in the
project. Public hearings have not been held," Sanasaryan says.
Yet since 2009, environmental organizations have lodged a claim in
the administrative court of Armenia, litigating the decision of the
Government, as well as the ministries of Nature Protection, and Energy
and Natural Resources. They cite violations of the Constitution of
Armenia, state laws, and Armenia's international obligations within
the framework of the Aarhus Convention in the claim. The claim has
been dismissed.
In 2010, the same environmental organizations appealed to the
corresponding commission of the Aarhus Convention in Geneva. In 2010
they received a draft conclusion paper, stating that the Republic of
Armenia had failed to secure efficient public participation in the
process of decision making related to Teghut mining project.
Environmentalist Karine Danielyan, who heads the "For Sustainable Human
Development" NGO, says that as a result of the environmental struggle
a reforestation, ecological and compensation program has been drafted,
however, it will not pay back all the damages that will appear when
the mine is developed.
"The open-pit mining in such a unique forest area as Teghut proves
that we have short-term thinking, and the short-term economic thinking
is absolutely anti-ecological," Danielyan says.
Unlike environmentalists, Minister of Nature Protection Aram
Harutyunyan believes Teghut mining project is not a loss but rather
an achievement.
"We are not wrong about Teghut, it is a project which is confirmed by
law and it has passed all the instances. It will be implemented under
our control and will secure big profits for our country," Harutyunyan.
Eighty one percent of the company's shares belong to the
Liechtenstein-registered Valex F.M.Establishment Company, and 19
percent to Russia-based entrepreneur, ACP general director Valery
Mejlumyan.
Mejlumyan said that more than $350 million will be invested in the
construction project of Ore Processing Combine in Teghut and Teghut
Copper and Molybdenum Mine development. The company has already
invested more than $100 million in the construction works.
"The remaining $250 million will be drawn in the upcoming two years.
In fact, in two years the Ore Processing Combine in Teghut will start
running and it will produce about 28,000 tons of copper concentrate
annually," Mejlumyan said.
Currently about 23,000 tons of copper concentrate is produced
in Armenia, a great part of which is produced by Zangezur Copper
Molybdenum Plant in Kajaran, Syunik province. After the development
of Teghut mine, more than 50,000 tons of copper concentrate will be
produced in Armenia annually.
According to the State Revenue Committee, in 2010 about 116,000 tons
of copper ore and concentrate were exported from Armenia, whereas
in 2009 that index was less by 42 percent (81,500 tons). In 2010,
at the expense of copper and other non-ferrous metals the volumes
of export registered a 40 percent growth. In 2010, Armenia sold 210
million dollars' worth of copper ore.
Wires, cable, devices, heat exchangers, forged and molding sculptures,
jewelry, art and household goods, etc., are made of copper. Copper
combination is also used in making inorganic paints, artificial silk,
as well as for fighting against plant diseases and agricultural
vermin. Copper is also used in leather and fur production and in
medicine.
Environmentalists state that 170,833 trees will be cut as part of the
company's exploitation. There are as many as 55,000 rare and 45,000
valuable trees in the Teghut forests, as well as plants and animal
species registered in the Red Book that could be endangered if the
forests are destroyed.
According to environmentalists, 1,491 hectares of land area are
given for mining, and about 82 percent of that land (1,232 hectares)
is forest area. If the project is implemented then 357 hectares
forests will fully be logged. The waste will be disposed of by means
of tailings to the gorge of the Dukanadzor River. The development of
the mine will result in creation of about 500 million tons of tailings
and 600 million tons of other kind of waste.
Tailings, (also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or
slickens) are the materials left over after the process of separating
the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction (gangue) of an ore.
Tailings are distinct from overburden or waste rock, which are the
materials overlying an ore or mineral body that are displaced during
mining without being processed. Land fertility is quite low in the
areas which are polluted with tailings.
It is feared that the tailings depots which contain silver, rhenium,
tin, arsenic, molybdenum, copper, zinc, sulfuric compounds, as well
as other chemicals which are used in mining and ore procession will
pollute the rivers in the region. (There are four rivers there.)
Helsinki Committee Chairman Avetik Ishkhanyan, who is worried about
the Teghut issue, says that there is no mine development strategy in
Armenia, and at least in 50 years the country will be fully robbed.
There will be ruins in the places of the developed mines, and nothing
will be left for future generations.
"I have personally promised that if Teghut mine in developed I will
go, sit and protest. We must unite," he concludes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress