NUBARASHEN LANDFILL CELL: BOOTS IN EXCHANGE FOR INFORMATION
ArmInfo
2010-05-17 17:35:00
ArmInfo. Armenian Nature Protection Ministry has come forward with
an original suggestion in the matter of the Nubarashen landfill cell.
Representative of the ministry Roman Chobanyan promised at today’s
press-conference to give his boots to those journalists which will
dare to visit the landfill cell. To recall, an extraordinary situation
established at the territory of the landfill cell after damaging of
its upper layer by heavy equipment. A criminal case was initiated by
this fact, but the criminals have not been arrested by the Police yet.
Incidentally, Chobanyan voiced some strange pretensions to public
organizations which rose the problem of the Nubarashen landfill cell.
‘All of them say about the work implemented but none of them put even
one no-go sign near the landfill cell’, – he said. Representative of
the public organization Lilit Simonyan replied they do not have such
an authority. She also added that 10 years ago just their organization
attracted attention of the governmental structures to the problem of
the landfill cell, but no specific step has been taken by them.
Nubarashen toxic waste dump was built in 1976 by the decision of the
USSR Council of Ministers. It is located in an active landslide zone
not far from the reserve of wild cereals. A total of 600 tons of toxic
pesticides were buried directly in the ground, including 512 tons of
first and second hazard class. Crucial is that the Armenian Women
for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE) organization revealed
the dump yet 10 years ago. Despite its numerous applications to
government structures, the only measures taken over those years were
prohibitory signs and barbed wire fence. On May 6 the Government of
Armenia decided to allocate 31.650mln AMD for solving the problem of
Nubarashen. In fact, the dump has been put in state of emergency.