TEGHUT

August 2010


ARMENIA: ANTHROPOGENIC ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER IN THE MAKING

“Given the mountainous terrain around the deposit, and the location in an area prone to severe earthquakes, there is a considerable technical and, therefore, financial challenge to deposit 500 million tones of tailings and 600 million tones of various waste categories in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner.”

“Scoping Review of the Teghut Copper-Molybdenum Project”
by Strathcona Mineral Services Ltd., Canada, 2001

Country background

Armenia is a landlocked country with a territory of 29,000 sq. kilometers, about the size of Belgium and slightly larger than Israel. It is located upstream of the Kura-Araks river basin, on altitudes ranging from 380 to 4090 meters. Because of the country’s unique location and volcanic origins, it contains a vast array of microclimates and exclusive habitats for many endangered plant and animal species.

Armenia has serious environmental problems. It has joined the majority of international environmental conventions. It has continuously received technical and financial support for environmental protection from international organizations—the dollar values of which amount to millions. Despite these, the country’s natural environment continues to deteriorate. The country lacks adequate environmental policies and enforcement of environmental laws. Corruption is rampant and natural resources are being exploited feverishly.

In the early 1980s, 11% of the country’s territory was covered by forests. Today this coverage has decreased to 7%. Armenia’s energy crisis in the early 1990s resulted in the destruction of large areas of the country’s forests. This was done randomly by individuals who used the wood to warm their homes and cook their meals. Today, deforestation continues and is primarily due to organized illegal logging and unlawful allocation of forest lands. As elsewhere in the world, deforestation in Armenia aggravates the impacts of climate change, speeds up desertification, increases the risks of landslides and soil erosion, leads to the loss of biodiversity, and results in the loss of livelihood of communities adjacent to the deforested areas. According to experts, at the current rate of deforestation the country will become a desert within 50 years.

In the past decade, Armenian forests have been aggressively allocated for various economic activities, key among them mining. Today, mining is declared a priority sector by the Armenian government and is being developed intensively. The government has issued several hundred mining licenses without any long-term program for sustainable use of resources, adequate regulatory framework for taxation and environmental protection, and comprehensive assessment of the environmental and social consequences. The impact of mining has been devastating. Thousands of hectares of the country are covered with open pits and dumping tails. Conservation work does not take place. Emissions and disposal of hazardous substances poison the surrounding environment and affect human health. A 2005 report by the World Health Organization placed Armenia second after Kyrgyzstan among CIS countries with birth abnormalities. Many experts attribute this high rate to increased environmental pollution. Health problems are particularly acute around big mining areas in the northern and southern parts of the country.

One of the most controversial of the government-sanctioned mining initiatives has been the licensing of the copper-molybdenum deposit in Teghut. This initiative has faced widespread opposition from the environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), experts and local communities. But the prevention of an environmental disaster will additionally depend on the mobilized support of international organizations.


Area description

The Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit is located in the northeastern region of Lori in Armenia - a region prone to earthquakes and landslides. The area of the Teghut deposit is a picturesque and complex landscape covered with forests and engraved by gorges of the Shnogh River and its tributaries - Krunk, Pakasajur (Kharatadzor) and Duqanadzor. These rivers are the main water sources for the Shnogh and Teghut villages. They use the water for drinking as well as irrigation. Shnogh River itself is a tributary to the transboundary Debed River flowing to Georgia. This area is also home to about 20 historical and cultural sites that go back to antiquity and the middle ages.

Teghut forest is one of the best-preserved forest areas in the country with rich biodiversity, including about 200 species of plants, 55 species of mammals, 86 species of birds, 10 species of vermigrades and 4 species of amphibians. Many of these species are rare and endangered, 6 plants and 29 animals are included in the Red Book of Armenia.

The village communities of Shnogh and Teghut, with an aggregate population of 3600, are adjacent to the forest area. Favorable climatic and soil conditions allow for the cultivation of a large number of crops, which the residents of these villages have traditionally engaged in. After the collapse of Soviet Union and dismantling of collective farms, people in this area have survived on subsistence agriculture and forest products.


Mining project

The Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit was discovered in 1972. According to experts, the deposit is estimated to contain about 450 million tones of ore at an average grade of 0.36% copper and 0.022% molybdenum, i.e. more than 1.6 million tons of copper and about 100,000 tones of molybdenum. Those are accompanied by some concentrations of sulphur, gold, silver and rhenium.

In 2001, the license for exploitation of the mine was granted to the Armenian Copper Program (ACP) closed joint stock company. About 81 percent of shares of ACP belong to the so-called Vallex F.M., a company registered in Liechtenstein and having no other publicly available information. It is difficult to ascertain the legitimacy of Vallex, its ownership, and legal and accounting propriety of its operation. Since 1997, ACP has operated the copper smelter in Alaverdi, a city 18 km to the north-east of the Teghut forest. As a result of this activity, ACP has gained a reputation as being notoriously careless about the environment and human health. By employing inappropriate environmental practices it caused increase in respiratory problems, pregnancy complications and birth defects in the area.

ACP suggests extraction of copper and molybdenum through open mining over a 50- to 70-year period. The production capacity of Teghut mine is estimated by ACP to be 7 million tons annually, with a projected output of $87,664,000. Project intends to employ about 1400 people, some to be selected from the local residents and the rest recruited from ACP’s other enterprises.

The allocated land for the mining operation is 1,491 hectares (ha)--82% (or 1,232 ha) of which is covered with forests. The project plans clear-cutting 357 ha of the forest. As a result of resource extraction, one of the forested mountains will be replaced by a 600 meter deep pit. Dumping tails will be disposed in the gorge of Duqanadzor River. Exploitation of the mine will produce about 500 million tones of tailings and 600 million tones of various other wastes.

Implementation of the project has begun. It did so after the adoption of enabling decisions by the Republic of Armenia (RA) Government in November 2007. In May 2008, ACP signed an agreement with the VTB Bank (Russia) to receive a loan equivalent to 249.5 million dollars for a 12-year development of the Teghut mine. As of today only a limited amount has been transferred to ACP due to the global financial crisis. The preparatory activities for mining, including the cutting of 55 hectares of the forest, building road infrastructure and construction of the ore-processing plant, are being done with the company’s own resources. According to recent statements by ACP and the bank's leadership, VTB will be ready to provide the loan to ACP in September 2010.




Environmental and health concerns

The expediency of the project has been challenged by international as well as local experts. Strathcona Mineral Services Ltd., commissioned in 2001 by ACP itself to review the mining project, questioned the environmental safety as well as the economic viability of the project. Local experts in their turn conducted an analysis of the potential environmental impacts - deforestation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity, grounding their judgments on the baseline data collected by ACP.

According to experts, the clear cutting of the planned 357 hectares of mountain forests and development of the mining infrastructure will likely be accompanied by drying of water sources and soil erosion and result in the actual destruction of more than 1000 hectares of forests. Entire ecosystems, including habitats of endangered plants and animals will be jeopardized. Dumping tails containing silver, rhenium, lead, arsenic, copper, molybdenum, zinc, sulfurous compounds, and various chemicals used in extraction and ore processing will contaminate the nearby pristine valleys of Shnogh River and its tributaries, affecting food safety and human health. Likelihood of landslides will increase. There is a risk of failure of the enormous tailing reservoir, in which case the entire region will be affected, including the valley of the Debed River that crosses into the neighboring Republic of Georgia.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the project conducted by ACP and accepted by the government has failed to fully consider the above-cited consequences. The EIA did not do a serious analysis of the loss of biodiversity and completely disregarded risks to human health and emergencies. It made most of its environmental cost estimations based on 15-year old methodologies of the Russian Federation and, conspicuously, disregarded the requirements of the national legislation. Environmental damage was considered only for the first 8 years of the 50-70 year project. As a result, the costs of mining were undervalued against the benefits and the project was presented to the public as having critical importance to the national economy.

To-be-affected communities were not adequately informed about the potential environmental impacts on their livelihoods. To the extent that any public participation did take place, they were perfunctory and unproductive as all the major decisions were already made.

Authorities in charge of the review of EIA ignored the miscalculations and false data provided by ACP. Risks for transboundary impacts and emergency situations as well as adherence to Armenia’s international obligations were disregarded completely. The call of NGOs to arrange for independent and impartial environmental impact assessment by international experts was rejected by the Armenian government.


Legal infringements

In the opinion of experts, operation of the Teghut mine is in breach of the principles of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Convention on Biodiversity, UN Convention on Combating Desertification, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, European Landscape Convention, UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) - all signed and ratified by the RA.

In addition, the decisions related to Teghut mining violate provisions of the RA Constitution and a number of national laws, including RA Land Code, RA Water Code, RA Mineral Code, RA Law on Environmental Impact Expertise, RA Law on Allocation of Mineral Resources for Exploration and Exploitation (RA Law on Concession), RA Law on Plants, and RA Law on Animals. These infringements, along with those of the Espoo Convention and the Aarhus Convention are challenged by NGOs in Armenian courts.





Social resistance

The environmental NGO community has raised its concerns over the environmental impacts of the Teghut mining project since the first public hearing in March 2006. Despite these, ACP has been granted all the necessary permits and concurrences by the respective governmental agencies. Since the adoption of the ill-grounded and misguided November 2007 decision by the RA Government to launch the project, public opposition has intensified. The Teghut Defence Group, mobilizing NGOs and concerned individuals, has held numerous demonstrations, petition drives, rallies, public hearings and press conferences. Many of these were joined by the members of the to-be-affected communities. Local residents in their turn organized campaigns to complain against the miserable compensation – about 10-20 cents per square meter – paid by ACP for their fertile lands and crops and eventual loss of their homelands.

Public’s voices were unheard. Several meetings arranged by the Prime Minister and other state institutions to demonstrate some dialogue were not productive as the Armenian government acted as the blind advocate of Teghut mining project, ignored the problems highlighted by NGOs and experts. Concerns of NGO representatives from Georgia in respect to the likely transboundary impacts and concrete requests to arrange for a new environmental assessment in accordance with the requirements of the Espoo Convention and international best practices were not duly addressed either.

Activists organizing and participating in protests against the Teghut mining project faced pressure from authorities - including violence to squash rallies, warnings to and attacks on individual activists by law enforcement representatives. A criminal case was opened against one of the Teghut Defense Group activists. Ostensibly, this case was for her whistle-blowing on sexual harassment in one of the schools. It was, however, understood that the case was retaliation against her environmental activism, especially in mobilizing the youth against the mining initiative in Teghut.


Steps to achieve justice

For more than a year a few Armenian NGOs have strived to achieve justice in the Armenian court system. In July 2009, three non-governmental organizations - “Transparency International Anti-corruption Center” NGO, “Helsinki Citizens Assembly Office in Vanadzor” NGO and “Ecoera” environmental NGO - applied to RA Administrative Court challenging various decisions of the RA Government, RA Ministry of Nature Protection and RA Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. In their legal suits, these NGOs cited breaches of the Armenian Constitution, national laws and international obligations under Espoo Convention and Aarhus Convention.

RA Administrative Court twice rejected the lawsuit citing that the applicants do not have legal standing as their immediate rights have not been violated by the Teghut mining project. The NGOs appealed to the RA Court of Cassation, which in October 2009, recognized the standing of only one of the NGOs - “Ecoera” - as an appropriate claimant on the grounds of the Aarhus Convention and returned the case to the Administrative Court for new review. In March 2010, in contradiction to the decision of the higher court, the Administrative Court again judged that “Ecoera” NGO has no legal standing in respect to the Teghut mining project. This judgment too was appealed in the Court of Cassation in April 2010 and is still pending.

In September 2010, the three NGOs that had brought the above-mentioned lawsuit also addressed a communication to the Compliance Committee of the Aarhus Convention in Geneva. This communication specified the violations of the Aarhus Convention. In March 2010, the case was discussed at the Compliance Committee’s meeting in Geneva with the participation of communicants and the Armenian Government.

In draft conclusions from September 2010, the Compliance Committee recognized the failure of the Republic of Armenia to ensure effective public participation in respect with decisions regarding operation of Teghut mine.

A number of local residents of Teghut and Shnogh communities have applied to the European Court of Human Rights in regard with the loss of their property and inadequate compensation.


teghut2009@gmail.com

Letter to EBRD

August 31, 2010

To: Mr. Valeriu Razlog
Head of Yerevan Office
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Citadel Business Center
105/1, Teryan Street
Yerevan 009 Armenia



Dear Mr. Razlog,

We are writing on behalf of the environmental movement embracing thousands of individuals and dozens of non-governmental organizations to express our concern related to the possible funding of the controversial mining project in Teghut forest in Armenia by VTB bank - the loan beneficiary of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The EBRD has been the first multilateral development bank with an explicit environmental mandate to promote environmentally sound and sustainable development in the full range of its activities. We appreciate the course and activities of the EBRD in this respect and assume that in its turn it shall demand high standards from its partners and beneficiaries. Unfortunately, such standards are not always strictly required by the lender and/or met adequately by respective partners and, hence, the EBRD appears in a position to indirectly finance environmentally unsound and risky projects and endanger its reputation.

One of the partners of the EBRD is the VTB Bank Armenia, which, in accordance with the agreement signed in January 2009, will receive 10mln credit from the EBRD for the funding of small and medium-sized enterprises in Armenia. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the same bank intends to give a loan of almost 250 million dollars to the Armenian Copper Program for a 12-year development of the Teghut copper-molybdenum mine in the northeastern region in Armenia. This contract was signed in May 2008, but only limited amount was transferred to ACP due to the global financial crisis. According to recent statements by ACP and the bank's leadership, VTB will be ready to continue to provide the loan to ACP in September 2010.

Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit is located in a picturesque and complex landscape covered with forests and engraved by gorges of the Shnogh River and its tributaries - Krunk, Pakasajur (Kharatadzor) and Duqanadzor, which are the main water sources for the Shnogh and Teghut villages. Teghut forest is one of the best-preserved forest areas in the country with rich biodiversity, including about 200 species of plants, 55 species of mammals, 86 species of birds, 10 species of vermigrades and 4 species of amphibians. Many of these species are rare and endangered. There are about 20 historical and cultural sites from antiquity and the middle ages.

Allocated land for exploitation of the mine is 1,490.820 hectares (ha), 82% (or 1,231.648 ha) of which is covered with forests. The project plans clear-cutting 357 ha of the forest. As a result of resource extraction, one of the forested mountains will be replaced by a 600 meter deep pit. Dumping tails will be disposed in the gorge of one of the above-mentioned rivers. Exploitation of the mine will produce about 500 million tones of tailings and 600 million tones of various other wastes.

The expediency of the Teghut mining project has been challenged by international as well as local experts. Strathcona Mineral Services Ltd., commissioned in 2001 by ACP, questioned the environmental safety as well as the economic viability of the project. According to their scoping review, “given the mountainous terrain around the deposit, and the location in an area prone to severe earthquakes, there is a considerable technical and, therefore, financial challenge to deposit 500 million tones of tailings and 600 million tones of various waste categories in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner.”

Local experts in their turn analyzed the project’s impacts and revealed that the clear cutting of the planned 357 hectares of forest will likely be accompanied by drying of water sources, soil erosion, and destruction of forest area 3 times larger than the planned territory. Entire ecosystems, including habitats of endangered plants and animals will be jeopardized. Dumping tails containing silver, rhenium, lead, arsenic, copper, molybdenum, zinc, sulfurous compounds, and various chemicals used in extraction and ore processing will contaminate the rivers and valleys, affecting food safety and human health. Likelihood of landslides will be increased. There is a risk of failure of the enormous tailing reservoir, in which case the entire region will be affected, including the valley of the Debed River that crosses into the neighboring Republic of Georgia.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA), which served as a basis for permitting decisions, failed to calculate the ecosystem and biodiversity losses, disregarded risks for human health and emergencies. Costs of mining were undervalued against the benefits and exploitation of Teghut copper-molybdenum project was presented as an economically viable one. Authorities in charge of the review of EIA ignored the miscalculations and false data provided by ACP. The Armenian government refused the environmental NGOs’ proposal to arrange for an independent EIA with participation of international experts/organizations. The affected communities were not adequately informed about the potential environmental impacts on their livelihoods.

Decisions related to operation of Teghut mine violated provisions of national and international legislation, including RA Constitution, RA Land Code, RA Water Code, RA Mineral Code, RA Law on Environmental Impact Expertise, RA Law on Allocation of Mineral Resources for Exploration and Exploitation (RA Law on Concession), RA Law on Plants, and RA Law on Animals as well as UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention).

For more than four years the environmental NGOs and experts in Armenia are engaged in the campaign against the Teghut mining project. Some NGOs challenge legal infringements in the courts of Armenia. The issue of failure to ensure public participation and access to justice is additionally raised in front of the Compliance Committee on the Aarhus Convention. Local residents have applied to the European Court of Human Rights as their property was taken by ACP with miserable compensation.

We have applied to the leadership of VTB several times since 2008 and raised our concerns regarding the devastating consequences of Teghut mining project. Nevertheless, the bank disregarded the public’s voice and refused to enter into dialogue. Such a position of the bank has forced us to hold several demonstrations in front of the headquarters. The last rally on June 28, 2010 was dispersed by the police with the use of force.

We would like to note that we are determined to continue using our rights and freedoms and continue our fight against the mining of copper-molybdenum reservoir in Teghut as it violates the rights of local residents to leave in a healthy and safe environment and sacrifices the needs of future generations.

We also expect international financial institutions working in Armenia and, in particular, the EBRD to respect the mentioned rights of the Armenian people and to refrain from supporting activities that put under risk our nature, health and future.

We request EBRD to express a consistent standing in respect with the environmental and social performance of its partner bank and demand VTB to demonstrate adherence to high environmental and social standards, which will mean abandonment of financing ACP for exploitation of Teghut mine. In the opposite case, we request EBRD to suspend its lending to VTB as the continued support of this bank by EBRD will be regarded as “political backing” of an unlawful, environmentally devastating and socially irresponsible activity, and allegations addressed to VTB will be proportionately addressed to this prominent financial institution.

A more detailed bulletin on Teghut mining project is enclosed. For additional information please contact Sona Ayvazyan at teghut2009@gmail.com or +374 91 433278.

Sincerely TEGHUT GROUP

Earth is handmade!

ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԻ ՀԱՆՐԱՊԵՏՈՒԹՅԱՆ
ԳՅՈՒՂԱՏՆՏԵՍՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՆԱԽԱՐԱՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ
ԱՆՏԱՌԱՅԻՆՊԵՏԱԿԱՆ ՄՈՆԻՏՈՐԻՆԳԻ ԿԵՆՏՐՈՆ:
ՊԵՏԱԿԱՆ ՈՉ ԱՌԵՎՏՐԱՅԻՆ ԿԱԶՄԱԿԵՐՊՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ 0051,Երևան,Մամիկոնյանց39ա
Tel. 20-15-98
forestmonitor@mail.ru

ՀՀ բնապահպանության նախարարության
աշխատակազմի Բնապահպանական պետական
տեսչության պետի ժամանակավոր պաշտոնակատար
պարոն Ա. Սահակյանին

Հարգելի պարոն Սահակյան

§Չորրորդ իշխանություն¦ օրաթերթի ս/թ սեպտեմբերի 8-ի թիվ 180 համարում Լոռու մարզի անտառներում իրականացվող ապօրինի հատումների հրատարակման կապակցությամբ մոնիտորինգի կենտրոնի աշխատակիցների կողմից ս/թ սեպտեմբերի 9-ին ուսումնասիրություններ կատարվեցին Գուգարքի անտառտնտեսության Վահագնիի և Եղեգնուտի անտառպետություններում:
Վահագնիի անտառպետությունում իրականացված ուսումնասիրություններին մասնակցում էին նաև լրագրող Է.Արզումանյանը, §Թեղուտի պաշտպանություն¦ խմբի անդամներ Վ.Վարդումյանը և Մ.Սուխուդյանը:
Եղեգնուտի անտառպետություն
Անտառպետության տարածքում ուսումնասիրությունները կատարվել են §Լոռի¦ հանգստյան տանը հարող անտառային տարածքներում` հանգստյան տնից մոտ 3կմ հեռավորության վրա: Ուսումնասիրությունների և դիտարկումների ժամանակ արձանագրվել է թվով 88 հատ ապօրինի հատված ծառերի կոճղեր /փայտանյութը տեղափոխված էր/, որից 57 հատ հաճարենի, 25 հատ բոխի, 5 հատ տանձենի և 1 հատ ընկուզենի:
Շարունակելով դիտարկումները §Սիսի-բերդ¦ անունը կրող հանդամասում հայտնաբերվել և արձանագրվել է ևս 28 ապօրինի հատված ծառերի կոճղեր` բոլորը հաճարենի տեսակի:
Վահագնիի անտառպետություն
Մոնիտորինգի կենտրոնի աշխատակիցների մեկ այլ խումբ ուսումնասիրություններ է իրականացրել Գուգարքի անտառտնտեսության Վահագնիի անտառպետության տարածքում: Ուսումնասիրություններն ընդգրկել են §Զամառլու¦ կոչվող կամրջից դեպի ձախ տանող ճանապարհով մինչև 9-10կմ հեռավորության վրա գտնվող անտառային տարածքները: Ուսումնաիրությունների և դիտարկումների արդյունքում արձանագրվել է 184 հատ ապօրինի հատումներ, որից 50 հատ հաճարենի, 82 հատ բոխի, 34 հատ հացի, 7 հատ կաղնի, 2 հատ բալենի, 5 հատ թխկի և 4 հատ լորենի:
Ակնկալում եմ, որ Ձեր կողմից կտրվեն համապատասխան հանձնարարականներ սահմանված կարգով գործին ընթացք տալու համար:
Կից ներկայացնում եմ ապօրինի հատումների լուսանկարները էլեկտրոնային կրիչով:


Հարգանքով` Ա.Փափազյան

Հեծանվային մրցումներ

Հայաստանում առաջին անգամ կազմակերպվում է մրցություն նման ձևաչափով:

Կազմակերպիչ "Հեծանիվ+" Էկո-մարզական Հասարակական Կազմակերպությունը հրավիրում է բոլորիդ, առանց սեռային խտրականության, մասնակցելու այս մրցումներին:

Մրցումների նպատակն է նպաստել Հայաստանում առողջ կենսակերպի ու հեծանվային մշակույթի տարածմանը:

ԵՐԲ` Սեպտեմբերի 19-ին, Կիրակի օրը, Առավոտյան ժամը 11-ին
ՈՐՏԵՂ` Ք. ԵՐԵՎԱՆ, Արցախի փողոցի սկզբնամաս

ՄՐՑՄԱՆ ՁԵՎԸ` Անհատական մրցավազք անջատ մեկնարկից
ՄՐՑԱՏԱՐԱԾՈՒԹՅՈՒՆԸ` 6 կմ

Մասնակիցները կբաժանվեն հետևյալ 6 տարիքային և սեռային խմբերի`
1. 12-16 տարեկան տղաներ 4. 12-16 տարեկան աղջիկներ
2. 16-25 տարեկան տղաներ 5. 16-25 տարեկան աղջիկներ
3. 25 տարեկանից բարձր տղաներ 6. 25 տարեկանից բարձր աղջիկներ

Մասնակցության համար անհրաժեշտ է պարտադիր գրանցվել, այցելելով Լենինգրադյան փ. 31 Հեծանիվների արհեստանոց, մինչև սեպտեմբերի 17-ը ներառյալ:
Գրանցվելու համար անհրաժեշտ է ունենալ անձնագիր, իսկ անչափահասների համար ծննդյան վկայական: Անչափահասների գրանցման համար ծնողի ներկայությունը պարտադիր է: Բոլոր գրանցվողներին մանրամասն կբացատրվի մրցման կանոնները, անվտանգության կանոնները:

Հաղթողներն ու մրցանակակիրները կպարգևատրվեն հուշամեդալներով ու պատվոգրերով:

Միջոցառման հետ կապված ցանկացած հարցով զանգահարեք 093 42-66-54 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 093 42-66-54 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Սամվելին:

GREEN ACTIVISTS RESISTED TO PERSUASION AND PRESSURE GREEN ACTIVISTS RESISTED TO PERSUASION AND PRESSURE

2010-09-11 00:00

EcoLur

The matter with feeling in Gougark forest acquires a scandalous nature like confrontation between green activists and authorities.

Late in August youth green movement activists disseminated information in the press that wide-scale felling is conducted in Gougark forestry enterprise near “Lori” Rest House where trucks with and without number plates are taking away timber. This information was corroborated with photos.

Inspection and supervisory bodies also got involved in this matter, but check results didn’t satisfy eye-witness Vahe Vardoumyan who submitted certain proof: more trees have been cut down than the State Environmental Inspection of the Ministry of Nature Protection has recorded.

Center for Forest Monitoring invited the activists to conduct in that particular area. Henceforth almost a detective story begins. On 9 September, at about 21:30, youth green movement activist Mariam Sukhudyan phoned EcoLur who said they were left not only without people who accompanied them, but also without car with their equipment, documents and money in the forest. She also said, the police showed up there and pressure was exercised both on activists and journalists: the main aim was to make activists hide the factual scale of felling. According to Mariam, they had detected 116 cut down trees, and, as a matter of fact, the number of these trees is more, just neighbouring territories should be examined as well.

EcoLur contacted with the Center for Forest Monitoring, where we were assured “everything will be o.k.” After an hour we phoned and the center representative tuned out to be with activists.

Judging by the fact that on 10 September activists publicized the incident, they didn’t manage to come to an agreement.

One question is left: why it was necessary to involve activists in the joint monitoring, if they actually needed to hide the felling scale, whether the pressure exercised was unauthorized activity at local level, or it was an order given from above. As a matter of fact, one thing is clear: public got focused on forest, and in this situation we should do our best not to allow the forest to become token money and to preserve the forest as one of the most valuable natural resources which we have been destroying successively for almost 20 years.


PHOTOS
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31430062&id=1536515145#!/album.php?aid=2083034&id=1536515145