Tigran Avinyan: If the draft EIA for Amulsar does not meet the  criteria, then it should be declared invalid

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.