ArmInfo. If the draft EIA (environmental impact assessment) for the Amulsar project does not meet the criteria, then it should be declared invalid. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Avinyan stated this on August 12 from the parliamentary rostrum.
Avinyan stressed that further discussions on Amulsar issues, taking into account the views of ecologists and Lydian Armenia, should be held within the framework of the legislation and the current regulation of government decisions. If the draft EIA for the Amulsar project does not meet the criteria, then it should be invalidated. In addition, the organization carrying out the security service may be deprived of its license if there really are grounds for this decision. "The problem of Amulsar is multi-layered, and all the statements we made earlier remain in force," Avinyan said.
The total cost of the Amulsar project is $ 370 million. The life of the deposit is 10 years and 4 months, with an average annual production of 200 thousand ounces of gold planned. To note, Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of the British offshore Lydian International. Environmentalists and ordinary citizens are concerned that the development of the mine may lead to the pollution of the mineral groundwater in Jermuk and Lake Sevan. In addition to the water basin, the public is also concerned about the possible presence of uranium manifestations at the deposit. Environmentalists and activists demand that the positive conclusion on the EIA project be invalidated, since it was adopted with legislative violations, and the document itself contains problems and shortcomings.
Last week, there were clashes near the Amulsar mine involving police and green activists who oppose the development of the mine. The situation escalated after the Lydian Armenia security organization - the "Special Security Service" - dismantled the cabins of the activists near the mine and installed their own. During the clashes, over 10 activists were detained, as well as four employees of a security organization suspected of hooliganism. Subsequently, mayor of Jermuk, Vardan Hovhannisyan, stated that the company did not have a permit for construction work in this territory, and therefore the Lydian Armenia's cabins were dismantled and moved to another location.