GREEN ACTIVISTS REFUSE TO ATTEND PUBLIC HEARINGS ON TEGHOUT PROJECT
arminfo
Thursday, March 22, 17:38
The green activists refuse to attend the public hearings on the
Teghout project.
The green activists' statement sent to ArmInfo says that the public
hearings will be held in Vanadzor on March 23 on the initiative of
the Government of Armenia. However, there is no information on the
issues to be raised at the hearings, the statement reads. Thus, it is
not clear to the activists what the hearings are aimed at and how the
results of the hearings will influence the governmental decisions. In
this connection, the activists have decided not to participate in
the public hearings on the Teghout project.
"The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee will hold a sitting
in Geneva on March 27-31 to discuss the process of Armenia's
implementation of the demands on Teghout. We suppose that the
Government of Armenia is trying to create a false impression that it
is exerting efforts to implement the Aarhus Convention provisions",
says the statement.
The activists say that they are ready to start discussions with the
Government provided that the agenda will include issues related to
lawfulness of Teghout deposit development. The statement has been
signed by green activists Mariam Sukhudyan, Apres Zohrabyan, Yeghia
Nersisyan, Gor Hakobyan, Head of EcoLur NGO Inga Zarafyan, filmmaker
Tigran Khzmalyan, and others.
To note, the program on development of Teghut copper-molybdenum
deposit was approved by the Armenian government in November 2007. It
has repeatedly been reported that the environmental risks in the
project submitted for consideration of the government were reduced
several times. In addition, the development of Teghut deposit runs
counter to the country's legislation and the ratified international
conventions. In autumn 2010 the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee
in Geneva ruled that Armenia failed to implement certain commitments
it assumed as a party to the Convention.
The deposit will be launched in 2014. In Feb 2012 Vice President of
Vallex Group, Director of Armenian Copper Programme, Gagik Arzumanyan,
said that Vallex Group invested about 130 mln USD in the project of
construction of a mining and processing combine and development of
the Teghout deposit. The total package of investments in the project
will be more than 320 mln USD.
From: A. Papazian
arminfo
Thursday, March 22, 17:38
The green activists refuse to attend the public hearings on the
Teghout project.
The green activists' statement sent to ArmInfo says that the public
hearings will be held in Vanadzor on March 23 on the initiative of
the Government of Armenia. However, there is no information on the
issues to be raised at the hearings, the statement reads. Thus, it is
not clear to the activists what the hearings are aimed at and how the
results of the hearings will influence the governmental decisions. In
this connection, the activists have decided not to participate in
the public hearings on the Teghout project.
"The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee will hold a sitting
in Geneva on March 27-31 to discuss the process of Armenia's
implementation of the demands on Teghout. We suppose that the
Government of Armenia is trying to create a false impression that it
is exerting efforts to implement the Aarhus Convention provisions",
says the statement.
The activists say that they are ready to start discussions with the
Government provided that the agenda will include issues related to
lawfulness of Teghout deposit development. The statement has been
signed by green activists Mariam Sukhudyan, Apres Zohrabyan, Yeghia
Nersisyan, Gor Hakobyan, Head of EcoLur NGO Inga Zarafyan, filmmaker
Tigran Khzmalyan, and others.
To note, the program on development of Teghut copper-molybdenum
deposit was approved by the Armenian government in November 2007. It
has repeatedly been reported that the environmental risks in the
project submitted for consideration of the government were reduced
several times. In addition, the development of Teghut deposit runs
counter to the country's legislation and the ratified international
conventions. In autumn 2010 the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee
in Geneva ruled that Armenia failed to implement certain commitments
it assumed as a party to the Convention.
The deposit will be launched in 2014. In Feb 2012 Vice President of
Vallex Group, Director of Armenian Copper Programme, Gagik Arzumanyan,
said that Vallex Group invested about 130 mln USD in the project of
construction of a mining and processing combine and development of
the Teghout deposit. The total package of investments in the project
will be more than 320 mln USD.
From: A. Papazian