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Mayor of Akhtala: In Armenia things are bad in all places having mines
and ore mining plants
by Karina Manukyan
ARMINFO
Saturday, April 5, 10:55
In Armenia things are bad in all places having mines and ore mining
plants, Mayor of Akhtala Haykaz Khachikyan said in an interview to
ArmInfo.
In May 2013 a group of environmentalists and journalists visited Lori
region and the local Akhtala ore mining company and noticed that the
waste of the company's Shamlugh mine was thrown into the nearby
gorges, while the area near the Ayrum tailing dump was used for cattle
grazing.
Khachikyan noted that since the change of the manager in 2013, the
company has improved its environmental policy even though the waste in
the gorge has not yet been removed and nor have they fenced off the
area near the Ayrum tailing dump.
Concerning the environmental situation in Akhtala, Khachikyan said
that the waters washed out of the local Soviet-time mines are full of
heavy metals and pollute the Akhtala and Debet rivers, with the latter
used for irrigation purposes in both Armenia and Georgia. "The
Government's or the company's efforts are not enough to solve this
problem. Here we need international experience," Khachikyan said.
In an earlier interview to ArmInfo Director of the Center for
Ecological-Noosphere Studies Armen Saghatelyan said that in Armenia
water is polluted in all mining areas.
Studies have shown that the key risk comes from secondary rather than
basic elements as the former are often neglected in feasibility
reports. In Akhtala the basic elements are lead and zinc, but studies
have found there lots of cadmium, which is a very strong contaminant.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
and ore mining plants
by Karina Manukyan
ARMINFO
Saturday, April 5, 10:55
In Armenia things are bad in all places having mines and ore mining
plants, Mayor of Akhtala Haykaz Khachikyan said in an interview to
ArmInfo.
In May 2013 a group of environmentalists and journalists visited Lori
region and the local Akhtala ore mining company and noticed that the
waste of the company's Shamlugh mine was thrown into the nearby
gorges, while the area near the Ayrum tailing dump was used for cattle
grazing.
Khachikyan noted that since the change of the manager in 2013, the
company has improved its environmental policy even though the waste in
the gorge has not yet been removed and nor have they fenced off the
area near the Ayrum tailing dump.
Concerning the environmental situation in Akhtala, Khachikyan said
that the waters washed out of the local Soviet-time mines are full of
heavy metals and pollute the Akhtala and Debet rivers, with the latter
used for irrigation purposes in both Armenia and Georgia. "The
Government's or the company's efforts are not enough to solve this
problem. Here we need international experience," Khachikyan said.
In an earlier interview to ArmInfo Director of the Center for
Ecological-Noosphere Studies Armen Saghatelyan said that in Armenia
water is polluted in all mining areas.
Studies have shown that the key risk comes from secondary rather than
basic elements as the former are often neglected in feasibility
reports. In Akhtala the basic elements are lead and zinc, but studies
have found there lots of cadmium, which is a very strong contaminant.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress