ARMENIAN MINISTRY OF NATURE PROTECTION: AZERBAIJAN’S STATEMENTS THAT ARMENIA POLLUTES THE RIVERS KUR AND ARAX ARE FALSE
Arminfo
2010-02-03 09:07:00
The Azerbaijani party’s statements that Armenia pollutes the rivers Kur
and Arax with phenols and copper compounds are false, the press-service
of the Armenian ministry of nature protection told ArmInfo.
The source says that the analysis of water samples taken in the
territory of Armenia in 2009-2010 from the river Arax shows that
the concentration of copper compounds does not exceed the maximum
permissible concentration. As regards the rivers Debed and Aghstev,
the growth in the copper concentration is caused by geological and
chemical peculiarities of the territory. Moreover, the concentration
of copper in the rivers Arax, Debed and Aghstev in the borderline
regions of Armenia is several times lower than the standards accepted
in Europe. As for the phenols, their availability in the water is
caused by chemical, oil processing activities, which, however, are
lacking in the Armenian territory.
The source also points out that Azerbaijan raised the issue of the
high content of phenols as early as Soviet times, as a result, in the
90s of XX century Armenia started monitoring the phenols. The 5-year
monitoring showed that the content of phenols in Armenia’s rivers is
very low, so a decision was taken to suspend the monitoring. However,
as the Azerbaijani party has fixed for itself senselessly low
levels of maximum permissible concentration of phenols and copper,
and consequently states about pollution of the rivers, the Armenian
party decided to resume the monitoring of phenols. The first results
of the monitoring will become known within the next few months. In
addition, by Azerbaijan’s proposal supported by Armenian and Georgian
specialists, the phenol content of surface waters is being monitored
under the EU TACIS program. Under the given program, some sections
of the rivers Kur and Arax were researched in 2009, and the results
will allow working out programs on control and improvement of the
water quality. Being quite well aware of this, the Azerbaijani party
continues making statements deprived of a scientific basis, apparently,
for political reasons.