ARMENIA-GEORGIA-TEGUT-EXPLOITATION-PROTEST

ArmInfo News Agency
http://www.arminfo.info

22.02.11 11:14am

Georgian and Armenian Ecologists against Tegut Deposit Exploitation

Tbilisi, February 22. ArmInfo-BSP. Approximately 30 Georgian and
Armenian non governmental organizations demand from their governments
to carry out corresponding measures on protection of the population
and environment from negative impact of project "Tegut" on the
territory of Armenia where local company Armenian Copper Program
extracts copper and molybdenum.

This fact is noted in the joint statements of NGOs of two countries
which was disseminated at the end of last week.

The question is about Tegut copper-molybdenum deposit which is
situated near the border with Georgia.

"The deposit's production wastes will increase greatly in Armenia to
180-200 mln cubic meters", the statement says.

According to data of Armenian Mass Media, as a result of extraction
the soil, air and water will be polluted, it will liquidate local bio
variety and the ecological system. Besides, as a result of felling
the risk of floods and landslides will increase.

"The biggest risk is connected with construction of the storage which
must protect the ecological system from great quantity of toxic
wastes. Experts say that toxic substances leakage will cause
irreversible damage not only to territories of Armenia and Georgia,
but wasters will pollute the near-border river Debed", the statement
reads.

Georgian NGOs are concerned with the fact that during the project
elaboration trans-border influence of this production was not taken
into consideration.

"The project documentation of company Armenian Copper Program does
not envisage a plan of reaction to emergency situations, which in
case of breakdown will cause heavy consequences for the two
countries' population", the statement says.

Armenian and Georgian NGOs stress that in the process of granting a
permission the Armenian government violated completely its
commitments under Aarhus Convention.

The NGOs call on the government of Armenia to suspend implementation
of the project to research comprehensively impact on environment,
ensure discussion of this issue on the basis of international
practice. Besides, the non-governmental organizations call on the
governments of the two countries to begin consultations on this
issue.

According to Armenian Mass Media, on November 1, 2007 the
government of Armenia approved Armenian Copper Program (ACP) of
exploitation of Tegut deposit in Lori district for 30-40 years. It
is planned to extract annually 25-30 thousand tons of copper and 800 http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
tons of molybdenum that will total 40-50% of total quantity of copper
extraction and 20% of molybdenum extraction in the republic. A
license for the deposit exploitation was granted for 25 years in
2001.

The deposit exploitation must begin in 2011. The project resulted in
negative response by most ecological public organizations.