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MINING IN ARMENIA CREATES DANGER OF TOXIC BI-PRODUCTS
El Vaquero
April 3 2014
Moises Torres, Staff Writer
Armenia's vast landscapes and mountain chains are now under siege as
private mining companies deplete the country's natural resources.
According to Suzy Petrosyan, a coordinator for Pan Armenian
Environmental Front, Armenia's ecosystem is rich in natural minerals
and precious metals, making it a bedrock of financial profit.
These minerals and metal are mined, generating wealth for foreign
companies. A plethora of toxic elements are created as a byproduct
of mining. There are 670 mines currently registered in the Republic
of Armenia.
During her presentation to attendees on March 5 in SR 138, Petrosyan
said that Kapan, a city that is torn between two mining operations,
does not receive any of the monetary profit that is generated by
Deno's Gold, a Canadian mining company.
People in these villages are unemployed and their families are
starving, so they must take jobs offered by Deno's Gold, where
they suffer human rights violations and are exposed to dense toxic
minerals. The workers have virtually no health care if they get sick,
and if they quit or lose their jobs, they are easily replaceable.
The government privatized a mining plant in the town of Agarak for only
$600,000, with a Russian company now owning 100 percent of the shares.
Kajaran, a small city where a mining plant operates more than 1,000
feet deep into the ground, generated up to 17 million tons of ore
in 2007, which is substantially more than the 12.5 million tons they
are authorized to extract.
The mining of metals poses the largest threat, creating toxic waste
as a bi-product. Without regulation and tougher taxes, more than 300
million tons of poisonous elements are drained into toxic waste dumps.
These toxic waste dumps eventually find their way into rivers, lakes,
and valleys where they become toxic deposits that poison every facet
of the surrounding ecosystem.
The contamination of these precious water systems disrupts the food
environment of the people. The hazardous residue permeates the soil,
which in turn pervades the plants, animals, the people, and the air.
"This is very, very serious," said Petrosyan. "I'm hoping it doesn't
get worse. In 15 to 20 years, it won't be able to be inhabited."
Yet, the Armenian government claims mining as their its major source
of revenue.
In 2004, the government sold copper for $132 million to a foreign
company. A year later, the company that purchased it, generated $190
million in annual profit.
"Banks provide millions upon millions of dollars in loans to fund
mining operations," said Petrosyan.
The Armenian government increased the scope of privileges towards
private companies and has few regulations capping private companies.
They are allowed to dump toxic waste and mine on deforested land,
which is already an issue, having to pay virtually nothing.
The goal of private mining companies is to maximize profit in the least
amount of time, taking "the sooner, the better" kind of approach. This
short-term monetary plan benefits the Armenian government and private
companies more than it does the people.
A lot of the money generated by mining is exported to offshore
accounts, leaving Armenia without any real monetary benefit.
Armenia has become a country that generates wealth for other countries
through the depletion of its natural sources.
"The environment is going to be a toxic waste dump for many years to
come and it's going to cost millions to stop this," said Petrosyan.
http://www.elvaq.com/news/2014/04/03/mining-in-armenia-creates-danger-of-toxic-bi-products/
From: Baghdasarian
El Vaquero
April 3 2014
Moises Torres, Staff Writer
Armenia's vast landscapes and mountain chains are now under siege as
private mining companies deplete the country's natural resources.
According to Suzy Petrosyan, a coordinator for Pan Armenian
Environmental Front, Armenia's ecosystem is rich in natural minerals
and precious metals, making it a bedrock of financial profit.
These minerals and metal are mined, generating wealth for foreign
companies. A plethora of toxic elements are created as a byproduct
of mining. There are 670 mines currently registered in the Republic
of Armenia.
During her presentation to attendees on March 5 in SR 138, Petrosyan
said that Kapan, a city that is torn between two mining operations,
does not receive any of the monetary profit that is generated by
Deno's Gold, a Canadian mining company.
People in these villages are unemployed and their families are
starving, so they must take jobs offered by Deno's Gold, where
they suffer human rights violations and are exposed to dense toxic
minerals. The workers have virtually no health care if they get sick,
and if they quit or lose their jobs, they are easily replaceable.
The government privatized a mining plant in the town of Agarak for only
$600,000, with a Russian company now owning 100 percent of the shares.
Kajaran, a small city where a mining plant operates more than 1,000
feet deep into the ground, generated up to 17 million tons of ore
in 2007, which is substantially more than the 12.5 million tons they
are authorized to extract.
The mining of metals poses the largest threat, creating toxic waste
as a bi-product. Without regulation and tougher taxes, more than 300
million tons of poisonous elements are drained into toxic waste dumps.
These toxic waste dumps eventually find their way into rivers, lakes,
and valleys where they become toxic deposits that poison every facet
of the surrounding ecosystem.
The contamination of these precious water systems disrupts the food
environment of the people. The hazardous residue permeates the soil,
which in turn pervades the plants, animals, the people, and the air.
"This is very, very serious," said Petrosyan. "I'm hoping it doesn't
get worse. In 15 to 20 years, it won't be able to be inhabited."
Yet, the Armenian government claims mining as their its major source
of revenue.
In 2004, the government sold copper for $132 million to a foreign
company. A year later, the company that purchased it, generated $190
million in annual profit.
"Banks provide millions upon millions of dollars in loans to fund
mining operations," said Petrosyan.
The Armenian government increased the scope of privileges towards
private companies and has few regulations capping private companies.
They are allowed to dump toxic waste and mine on deforested land,
which is already an issue, having to pay virtually nothing.
The goal of private mining companies is to maximize profit in the least
amount of time, taking "the sooner, the better" kind of approach. This
short-term monetary plan benefits the Armenian government and private
companies more than it does the people.
A lot of the money generated by mining is exported to offshore
accounts, leaving Armenia without any real monetary benefit.
Armenia has become a country that generates wealth for other countries
through the depletion of its natural sources.
"The environment is going to be a toxic waste dump for many years to
come and it's going to cost millions to stop this," said Petrosyan.
http://www.elvaq.com/news/2014/04/03/mining-in-armenia-creates-danger-of-toxic-bi-products/
From: Baghdasarian