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S.O.S. AYRUM CAMPAIGN GETTING NEW STRENGTH
15:58 March 30, 2015
EcoLur
"Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine" CJSC intends to construct a new tailing
dump in the area of Tchotchkan and Mets Ayrum communities in Lori
Region using 40 ha of agricultural land areas in the communities. It
will be the second tailing dump for these communities, which will be
closer to the transboundary Debed River and Armenia-Georgia interstate
road. "To what extent it's admissible to construct a tailing dump
in such active seismic zone in the viewpoint of national security,
which can flow at any time and block the Debed riverbed in the gorge
of the Debed River, the railwat and the road running to Georgia,"
said Seyran Minasyan, expert in environmental impact monitoring,
at the press conference held at EcoLur Press Club on 27 March.
Around 200 Mets Ayrum residents oppose to the construction of this
tailing dump, which have declared about launching SOS Ayrum campaign.
The campaign is getting stronger joined by EcoLur, journalists and
public figures.
Ayrum Resident Demanding to Suspend New Tailing Dump Construction
Project
Naira Bulghadaryan, www.azatutyun.am
The authors of the letter insist that the Aldermen's Council have
approved the project without taking their opinion into consideration.
Around 70% of the village population has put their signatures under
the open letter, as a matter of fact, opposing to the local government.
Out of 4 members of the Aldermen's Council only Oleg Durgaryan
supports the villagers, "We, the residents of Mets Ayrum, oppose to the
construction of a new tailing dump in our land areas and demand to stop
this process, unless Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine solves the reclaiming
and compliance with safety standards of the old tailing dumps."
Expert Group member Seyran Minasyan is angry with the irresponsible
approach of the government and mining company, "We already don't
have Akhtala River, we have an Akhtala tail pipeline. They haven't
reclaimed tails and dumps anywhere. Now they are filling the tailing
dump in Nahatak gorge, which already has the same height as the gorge,
while winds and storms spread the tails. They mine copper, as it was
mined in the Bronze Age. It's impermissible, it's 21st century."
In reply to these concerns, Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine Executive
Director Martik Hakobyan informed the "Azatutyun" that they have
large programs - they plan to neutralize the current tailing dump
and to construct a new one with latest technologies.
"People in Akhtaka starve, while we help 700 people to work and to
get salary: if the average salary in 2010 was 130,000, now the average
salary is 250,000," he said.
Most Peach Harvest in Mets Ayrum Community Contains Lead Exceeding
MPC 2-4 Times
Arthur Hovhannisyan, Nyut.am
"Since 2013 we have been studying peach harvest in Mets Aryum
community, soil, water and leaves, and I can clearly say that the
concentration of lead (heavy metal known as a very toxic substance) has
exceeded in most peach samples, 60-70%, 2-4 times sanitary and health
standard, which is directly the impact of the tailing dump of Akhtala
Ore Dressing Combine located in Nahatak Gorge," Seyran Minasyan said.
For comparison we took the samples of peach from road sections in
Yerevan, Aramus, Akhtarak and Zovuni and analyzed them, as we thought
that lead concentration in dust may be high and we could have the
same picture. But no, our studies clearly show it's definitely the
result of the tailing dump."
Villagers address a letter to Armenian Prime Minister over a tailing
dump of Akhtala Mining Plant
Karina Manukyan, ArmInfo
195 residents of Mets Ayrum rural community have addressed a letter
to Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan over the situation around
the tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining Plant. The letter has also
been sent to all parliamentary groups of Armenia, the OSCE Office
in Yerevan, Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection and the Standing
Parliamentary Commission for Agriculture and Environment.
The letter expresses concerns about the Government's decision to
change the category of farming lands into industrial lands in the
light of construction of a new tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining
Plant on an area of 40 hectares. The letter stresses that despite
the discontent of the Mets Ayrum residents, on March 26, 2015, the
administration of Mets Ayrum made a positive decision on that issue.
Meanwhile, the exploitation conditions of the tailing dumps in Akhtala
and Mets Ayrum fail to meet the main environmental and safety standards
and endanger the health of the local population.
In addition, the rural residents have repeatedly complained of their
deteriorating health due to the impact of the Nahatak tailing dump.
The authors of the letter specify that the community people receive no
compensation for the damage inflicted to their health and environment.
In this light, the residents of Mets Ayrum come out against
construction of the new tailing dump and urge the Akhtala Mining Plant
to solve the problems related to re-cultivation and safety norms at
the old tailing dumps. In addition, the residents demand declaring
the Feb 26, 2015 decision null and void.
On March 24 and 25, a group of independent experts from Yerevan
monitored the situation in the areas adjacent to the Akhtala Mining
Plant. At a press conference on March 27, expert Seyran Minasyan said
that the group revealed tails in Alaverdi, Akhtala and Mets Ayrum. The
current management of the Akhtala Mining Plant takes no measures to
clean the specified areas from the tails.
The operating Nahatak tailing dump of the Mining Plant is also
criticized. The surveys conducted since 2013 have revealed that the
lead content in the 60-70% of peaches in Mets Ayrum is 2-4-fold higher
than the maximum admissible limit.
To note, in summer 2014 the former director general of the Zangezur
Copper Molybdenum Combine Maxim Hakobyan became the new owner of the
Akhtala Mining Plant. The plant had previously belonged to the Metal
Prince Ltd.
http://ecolur.org/en/news/mining/sos-ayrum-campaign-getting-new-strength/7168/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJM8lUr0uU
15:58 March 30, 2015
EcoLur
"Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine" CJSC intends to construct a new tailing
dump in the area of Tchotchkan and Mets Ayrum communities in Lori
Region using 40 ha of agricultural land areas in the communities. It
will be the second tailing dump for these communities, which will be
closer to the transboundary Debed River and Armenia-Georgia interstate
road. "To what extent it's admissible to construct a tailing dump
in such active seismic zone in the viewpoint of national security,
which can flow at any time and block the Debed riverbed in the gorge
of the Debed River, the railwat and the road running to Georgia,"
said Seyran Minasyan, expert in environmental impact monitoring,
at the press conference held at EcoLur Press Club on 27 March.
Around 200 Mets Ayrum residents oppose to the construction of this
tailing dump, which have declared about launching SOS Ayrum campaign.
The campaign is getting stronger joined by EcoLur, journalists and
public figures.
Ayrum Resident Demanding to Suspend New Tailing Dump Construction
Project
Naira Bulghadaryan, www.azatutyun.am
The authors of the letter insist that the Aldermen's Council have
approved the project without taking their opinion into consideration.
Around 70% of the village population has put their signatures under
the open letter, as a matter of fact, opposing to the local government.
Out of 4 members of the Aldermen's Council only Oleg Durgaryan
supports the villagers, "We, the residents of Mets Ayrum, oppose to the
construction of a new tailing dump in our land areas and demand to stop
this process, unless Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine solves the reclaiming
and compliance with safety standards of the old tailing dumps."
Expert Group member Seyran Minasyan is angry with the irresponsible
approach of the government and mining company, "We already don't
have Akhtala River, we have an Akhtala tail pipeline. They haven't
reclaimed tails and dumps anywhere. Now they are filling the tailing
dump in Nahatak gorge, which already has the same height as the gorge,
while winds and storms spread the tails. They mine copper, as it was
mined in the Bronze Age. It's impermissible, it's 21st century."
In reply to these concerns, Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine Executive
Director Martik Hakobyan informed the "Azatutyun" that they have
large programs - they plan to neutralize the current tailing dump
and to construct a new one with latest technologies.
"People in Akhtaka starve, while we help 700 people to work and to
get salary: if the average salary in 2010 was 130,000, now the average
salary is 250,000," he said.
Most Peach Harvest in Mets Ayrum Community Contains Lead Exceeding
MPC 2-4 Times
Arthur Hovhannisyan, Nyut.am
"Since 2013 we have been studying peach harvest in Mets Aryum
community, soil, water and leaves, and I can clearly say that the
concentration of lead (heavy metal known as a very toxic substance) has
exceeded in most peach samples, 60-70%, 2-4 times sanitary and health
standard, which is directly the impact of the tailing dump of Akhtala
Ore Dressing Combine located in Nahatak Gorge," Seyran Minasyan said.
For comparison we took the samples of peach from road sections in
Yerevan, Aramus, Akhtarak and Zovuni and analyzed them, as we thought
that lead concentration in dust may be high and we could have the
same picture. But no, our studies clearly show it's definitely the
result of the tailing dump."
Villagers address a letter to Armenian Prime Minister over a tailing
dump of Akhtala Mining Plant
Karina Manukyan, ArmInfo
195 residents of Mets Ayrum rural community have addressed a letter
to Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan over the situation around
the tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining Plant. The letter has also
been sent to all parliamentary groups of Armenia, the OSCE Office
in Yerevan, Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection and the Standing
Parliamentary Commission for Agriculture and Environment.
The letter expresses concerns about the Government's decision to
change the category of farming lands into industrial lands in the
light of construction of a new tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining
Plant on an area of 40 hectares. The letter stresses that despite
the discontent of the Mets Ayrum residents, on March 26, 2015, the
administration of Mets Ayrum made a positive decision on that issue.
Meanwhile, the exploitation conditions of the tailing dumps in Akhtala
and Mets Ayrum fail to meet the main environmental and safety standards
and endanger the health of the local population.
In addition, the rural residents have repeatedly complained of their
deteriorating health due to the impact of the Nahatak tailing dump.
The authors of the letter specify that the community people receive no
compensation for the damage inflicted to their health and environment.
In this light, the residents of Mets Ayrum come out against
construction of the new tailing dump and urge the Akhtala Mining Plant
to solve the problems related to re-cultivation and safety norms at
the old tailing dumps. In addition, the residents demand declaring
the Feb 26, 2015 decision null and void.
On March 24 and 25, a group of independent experts from Yerevan
monitored the situation in the areas adjacent to the Akhtala Mining
Plant. At a press conference on March 27, expert Seyran Minasyan said
that the group revealed tails in Alaverdi, Akhtala and Mets Ayrum. The
current management of the Akhtala Mining Plant takes no measures to
clean the specified areas from the tails.
The operating Nahatak tailing dump of the Mining Plant is also
criticized. The surveys conducted since 2013 have revealed that the
lead content in the 60-70% of peaches in Mets Ayrum is 2-4-fold higher
than the maximum admissible limit.
To note, in summer 2014 the former director general of the Zangezur
Copper Molybdenum Combine Maxim Hakobyan became the new owner of the
Akhtala Mining Plant. The plant had previously belonged to the Metal
Prince Ltd.
http://ecolur.org/en/news/mining/sos-ayrum-campaign-getting-new-strength/7168/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJM8lUr0uU