ARMENIAN ECOLOGISTS HAVE WORKED AN AUTUMN ACTION PLAN ON FIGHT AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF A GOLD RECOVERY PLANT NEAR SOTK
ArmInfo
2009-06-04 17:53:00
ArmInfo. Armenian ecologists have worked an autumn action plan on
the fight against construction of a gold recovery plant near Sotk.
As Chairwoman of EcoLur NGO Inga Zarafyan told journalists,
Thursday, in autumn ecological organizations, which were unified in
"SOS Sevan", intend to take measures in three directions: to hold a
public monitoring of GeoProMining’s implementation of its ecological
obligations; research the international experience of the companies
similar to GPM, and continue informing the public of the danger
connected with construction of the plant near the Sevan basin.
Zarafyan pointed out that the first stages of the fight against GPM’s
"Sevan appetites" have already given their results. For instance,
Armenian Environment Minister Aram Haroutyunyan has come out against
the plans of construction of such an enterprise in Sotk. "On April
15 we organized public hearings with participation of over 200
representatives of ministries and departments, National Assembly,
institutes of Armenian National Academy of Sciences, as well as
various public and international organizations. To tell the truth,
we didn’t expect such a wide response ourselves",- Zarafyan said.
According to her, the same day they started collecting signatures
against construction of the plant in Sotk. At the moment the document
is signed by 1600 people.
Zarafyan said that ecologists have all grounds to suppose that
the process on Sotk project has been transferred to the sphere of
political decisions, one of them may become amending the Armenian Law
"On Lake Sevan". The amendment bans setting up processing plants in
the Sevan basin.
"It is noteworthy that despite the recent statements of GPM about
unprofitability of production in Ararat, the company started melting
gold in the given recovery plant this month. This once again shows
that GPM fears about big losses were a little exaggerated",- Zarafyan
said. According to the information Zarafyan possesses, GPM has been
carrying cyanides near Lake Sevan for a long time, and this violates
the legislation. "We intend to apply to the Armenian Environment
Ministry",- she said.