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  • S. Tankian: "I Would Urge Armenia'S Government To Re-Consider Its Gr

    S. TANKIAN: "I WOULD URGE ARMENIA'S GOVERNMENT TO RE-CONSIDER ITS GRANTED LICENSE TO DEVELOP OPEN-PIT MINES IN AND AROUND TEGHUT FOREST"

    http://times.am/?l=en&p=12486

    Armenian-American world-known singer Serj Tankian has published an
    article which Times.am presents completely:

    "The recent controversy over Hungary's transfer of a convicted killer
    and his subsequent pardon and hero's welcome in Azerbaijan have really
    worked to reinforce the international image of Azerbaijan as a nation
    with a despotic leadership that promotes nonsensical violence. Their
    only true ally besides Turkey is oil.

    Armenia doesn't have an ally in oil. Nor does it need such ecologically
    destructive, carbon-based allies. What Armenia needs is a carbon
    neutral, ecologically sustainable, agriculturally diverse future as
    its ally.

    This is why I have been so outspoken about the current attention being
    paid to mining, which is dirty and unsustainable, for its promise as
    a form of so-called economic development in Armenia.

    True progress and a solution to Armenia's economic, environmental,
    and social challenges will be based on a coordinated effort to support
    environmentally sustainable agriculture.

    This would allow the country to produce all necessary food items,
    both for domestic consumption and for export. This is strategically
    important given Armenia's landlocked status and geopolitical isolation
    caused by hostile neighboring countries.

    Governmental support through tax credits and other subsidies for
    programs that will contribute to sustainable development in Armenia
    will create jobs and allow the youth of the country to remain in the
    country instead of going abroad for labor.

    These views are consistent with points I have made at a forum hosted
    by Civilitas in 2011, in an interview on CivilNet.TV this year, and
    in a recent video statement expressing concern about unsustainable
    mining in Teghut Forest.

    Further development of mining within our small country is a dangerous
    and extremely short term solution to our economic woes. The long term
    effects can best be described by experts from Armenia's own National
    Academy of Sciences.

    According to the head of the Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies
    (CENS), mining has been disastrous for Armenia in terms of public
    health and the environment. Mine operators have failed to neutralize
    dangerous contaminants which have been absorbed by soil. The pollutants
    then pass from agricultural produce to humans, which is especially
    dangerous for children.

    Furthermore, the head of the CENS Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory
    has stated that 57 percent of Yerevan's population may be living
    in contaminated conditions due to ground pollution. The country's
    rural fields are being irrigated with water flowing from contaminated
    sources due to mining operations, she explains.

    Farm produce from all of the towns with significant mining operations,
    including Kapan, Kajaran, Alaverdi, and Akhtala, are laden with
    heavy metals including mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, according to
    CENS studies.

    The risk was highlighted last month when mining waste poured out of
    a damaged pipeline belonging to one of the largest copper molybdenum
    mines in the country. This incident resulted in the release of toxic
    chemicals for hours into a river in southern Armenia that is used to
    irrigate farmland.

    Given the reality outlined above, I would urge Armenia's government to
    re-consider its granted license to develop open-pit mines in and around
    Teghut Forest, which is one of the most biologically diverse forests
    in Armenia, and refrain from issuing further mining licenses to the
    detriment of our environment and sustainable development in Armenia.

    18.09.12, 12:23




    From: A. Papazian
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