YEREVAN. – One can’t pick up the expert study conclusion and make selections from those 400 pages. Yura Ivanyan, head of the Amulsar gold mine case investigative team of Armenia, said this at a press conference on Monday, and responding to the query on the substantial contradictions between the respective studies that were conducted in 2016 and 2019.
To a journalist’s remark that according to ELARD’s 2019 report, the groundwater will not flow into the Spandaryan-Kechut water tunnel, whereas the 2016 report says the groundwater may penetrate into and potentially have a considerable impact on the tunnel, Ivanyan responded as follows:
“In addition to ELARD’s isotope analyses, the experts were also provided with the isotopes analyses from other companies, as well carried out in conjunction with the Institute of Geology of the National Academy of Sciences [of Armenia] and the corresponding Russian scientific structure.
“ELARD always considers the worst-case scenario to be possible. Let’s accept those conclusions, the isotopes are not accurate, the waters will go, will fill into the waterway; [but] the experts are saying the same. Let’s accept that there will be an earthquake, those waters will go, will fill into the Kechut Reservoir, they will go, reach [Lake] Sevan; but it won’t have a particular effect on Sevan. I can pick up the conclusion and make a selection of the worst of things. However, everything should be assessed in the overall context.”
On August 14, the Investigative Committee of Armenia publicized the results of the comprehensive audit report which was commissioned to the Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) Lebanese consultancy firm, and regarding any likelihood of environmental risks from the exploitation of the Amulsar gold-bearing quartzite mine.
The results have showed that there are no paths for groundwater flow and transmission of pollution from the Amulsar Project area to the Jermuk thermal hot water springs, plus the impact on the Arpa, Darb and Vorotan rivers near the Amulsar area is uncertain because this impact is not quantifiable.
Also, the conclusion noted 16 points which, if maintained, will make the Amulsar mine-related environmental risks manageable.