The Environmental Protection First (EPF) has issued a statement,
expressing its readiness to conduct monitoring of the Amuldagh gold
deposit.
Azernews presents the statement:
“The Environmental Protection First Coalition supports the
protest statement by Armenian civil society organizations demanding
suspension of mining industry activities causing environmental
damage at the Amuldagh (Amulsar) gold deposit.
We are grateful to our Armenian colleagues for echoing our
concerns. It is as a result of this solidarity that the activities
that were scheduled to start in Arazdayan were recently
stopped.
As stated by over 100 civil society organizations and
environmental activists in Armenia, the “Amulsar gold deposit”
project poses a threat to biodiversity and water resources. The
Armenian government and a company called “Lydian Armenia” did not
take into account the results of the environmental impact
assessment of the deposit.
Despite numerous protests by international organizations and the
adoption of a number of decisions against it, mining waste
containing heavy metals and generated as a result of the operation
of the Amuldagh (Amulsar) gold deposit are being discharged into
the Bargushad (Vorotan) River and eventually pollute the Araz River
through the Hakari River. Such operation of the Amuldagh (Amulsar)
gold deposit poses a serious threat to the region surrounded by the
Caucasus mountains, as well as its population.
The Amuldagh deposit is located 13 kilometers from the city of
Istisu (Jermuk), which is a natural mineral water deposit. The
operation of the field causes a detrimental impact on Istisu
mineral springs. The deposit is also located in the area between
the Arpachay and the Bazarchay rivers. Both rivers pass through the
territory of Azerbaijan and flow into the Araz. The use of the
long-forbidden toxic and hazardous substances in the operation of
the Amuldagh field destroys nature, causes acidification of rivers
and poisoning of their waters. In addition to the fact that gold
mining pollutes waters of this river, it also has a negative impact
on the ecosystem of Lake Goycha (Sevan), the largest freshwater
lake in Armenia located in the vicinity. This industry also poses a
serious threat to the Caspian Sea basin.
The Arpachay and the Bazarchay rivers, which flow across the
territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, flow into the Araz and from there into the Caspian Sea.
Therefore, this is causing a serious damage to the ecology not only
of Azerbaijan, but also of Iran and other Caspian littoral
countries.
The gold deposit is operated by “Lydian Armenia”. The sole
shareholder of this company is “Lydian International”, a company
based in Great Britain. Its key shareholders included “Orion Mine
Finance” (USA), “Resource Capital Funds” (USA), “Merk Investments”
and “Tocqueville Asset Management LP”.
As EPF Coalition, we also call on the Armenian government and
the companies involved in gold mining in this deposit to
immediately stop the operation of the “Amulsar gold deposit”, which
is being exploited without regard for any environmental norms
whatsoever.
We are ready to start monitoring of the “Amulsar gold deposit”
together with Armenian and other countries’ civil society
institutions and international organizations operating in the field
of health and environment.
The Armenian government should realize the responsibility for
its actions and open the doors of mining industry enterprises for
environmental monitoring.
The statement was signed by Amin Mammadov (Experts in the Field
of Water Use Public Union), Parvana Valiyeva (Service to Health
Public Union), Sabit Baghirov ( Entrepreneurship Development
Foundation) and Gamza Yusubova (Environmental Awareness and
Monitoring Public Union).
The Environmental Protection First Coalition has appealed to the
Armenian government demanding that it create conditions for
environmental and health NGOs of Azerbaijan and other countries to
conduct monitoring of the Amuldagh field.
The Coalition’s statement says that Armenia should realize the
responsibility for its actions and open the doors of mining
industry enterprises for environmental monitoring. It demands that
the operation of the Amuldagh field, which is being exploited
without regard for any environmental norms whatsoever, should be
stopped immediately.
EPF also supports the opinion of more than 100 civil society
organizations and environmental activists in Armenia that the
operation of Amuldagh poses a serious threat to biodiversity and
water resources. In addition, Azerbaijani NGOs expressed gratitude
to Armenian environmental organizations and activists for echoing
the concerns of the Environmental Protection First Coalition.
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