Teghut: PM holds public discussion as environmentalists picket
Environment | 24.03.12 | 14:41
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
Some 50 or so environmental activists organized a picket in Vanadzor,
Lori province on March 23 while Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan held a
public discussion over the Teghut forest controversy.
A few days ago under the decision made by the Government of Armenia, a
working group was created to organize a public discussion over the
`Program of Teghut Copper and Molybdenum Mine Development’.
The environmentalists were not allowed to participate in the
discussion, but instead voiced the problems related to the legal
violations of Teghut mine development and the detriment to the
environment.
It has been more than four years — since November 2007 — that
environmentalists have tried to stop the development of further copper
and molybdenum processing (a project initiated by Vallex Group) near
the village of Teghut. Environmentalists state that 170,833 trees will
be cut; most of them are valuable and rare species of trees registered
in the Red Book.
Besides, environmentalists warn against a tailings depot to be
constructed in the seismic resistance zone, and pollution of
underground waters and rivers. Further, they say granting expansion of
the mine is illegal, as it agreed upon without public participation in
the process of decision making related to the expansion of the mining
operation.