ArmInfo.Amulsar project has a need for expert and legal assessment of the positive conclusion of the Investigative Committee. On September 4, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan stated this in a short conversation with reporters.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that he personally cannot give a legal assessment. He noted that he was concerned about the emerging environmental situation at all mines, and Amulsar is no exception. At the same time, he said that he had no personal interest in these projects, except for the protection of state interests.
In turn, another Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, in an interview with reporters, noted the need for expert work, moreover, both from a legal, and from an economic and environmental point of view. . "Only a correct comparison will lead to a correct conclusion," he said. At the same time, Grigoryan said that he does not consider wasted $ 400 thousand that ELARD paid for the study. "This cannot be said, because at least we heard an expert opinion on the available materials," he said.
During a Skype conference with the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on August 19, member of the expert group of Earth link & Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) company, hydrogeologist Dr. Nidal Rabahi said that it is impossible to assess the environmental impact of the Amulsar mine. The reason, he said, is the inferiority of the data provided by Lydian Armenia. In this regard, ELARD materials were sent to the Ministry of the Environment to study the possibilities of conducting new studies.
Amulsar mine is located 10 kilometers from the resort of Jermuk. According to the explored reserves of gold, the mine takes the second place in Armenia. Geological exploration of the area, which began in 2007, ended in 2015 with an environmental and social assessment of mining at the mine. Civil activists and environmentalists opposed the mine's operation, organizing mass protests in this regard, forcing Lydian Armenia to conduct additional research.