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ENVIRONMENTALIST: GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EMERGENCY SITUATION AT MADAN BURIAL SITE
arminfo
Thursday, October 18, 00:19
The Government of Armenia is responsible for the emergency situation
at the Madan burial site near Alaverdi town, Head of EcoLur NGO Inga
Zarafyan told ArmInfo.
To recall, the official website of the Armenian Ministry of Emergency
Situations reports that on October 17, at 6:43 pm the Ministry
received a signal that as a result of an emergency situation the toxic
substances started penetrating into the river Debed. The rescuers of
Alaverdi town arrived at the scene. By the instruction of the Nature
Protection Minister, the employees of the Environmental Inspectorate
also came to the scene. The concrete containers with the arsenic
were conserved during the Soviet times, however, 30 years later the
constructions gradually started decaying.
Zarafyan said that according to the effective legislation, the ore
mining companies bear no responsibility for their infrastructure. She
recalled that despite the experts' protests, the Armenian Parliament
adopted a new Code on Natural Resources, which lifted from the
companies the responsibility for the tailing dumps, waste dumps and
other ore mining waste.
There are 19 tailing dumps in Armenia, with some of them regarded by
environmentalists as dangerous. "Due to our Natural Resources Code, our
companies and government pay nothing to keep them safe," Zarafyan said.
arminfo
Thursday, October 18, 00:19
The Government of Armenia is responsible for the emergency situation
at the Madan burial site near Alaverdi town, Head of EcoLur NGO Inga
Zarafyan told ArmInfo.
To recall, the official website of the Armenian Ministry of Emergency
Situations reports that on October 17, at 6:43 pm the Ministry
received a signal that as a result of an emergency situation the toxic
substances started penetrating into the river Debed. The rescuers of
Alaverdi town arrived at the scene. By the instruction of the Nature
Protection Minister, the employees of the Environmental Inspectorate
also came to the scene. The concrete containers with the arsenic
were conserved during the Soviet times, however, 30 years later the
constructions gradually started decaying.
Zarafyan said that according to the effective legislation, the ore
mining companies bear no responsibility for their infrastructure. She
recalled that despite the experts' protests, the Armenian Parliament
adopted a new Code on Natural Resources, which lifted from the
companies the responsibility for the tailing dumps, waste dumps and
other ore mining waste.
There are 19 tailing dumps in Armenia, with some of them regarded by
environmentalists as dangerous. "Due to our Natural Resources Code, our
companies and government pay nothing to keep them safe," Zarafyan said.