Tuesday, August 4 2020 12:40

ArmInfo.Wheelhouses of activists, who oppose the development of the Amulsar field, have been  dismantled. As reported by the "Armenian Environmental Front", the actions were carried out by the new security service of the mining company "Lydian Armenia" - the organization "Special Security Service", which installed its own houses instead of the houses of the activists.

"This is an unacceptable encroachment on the exercise of the right to  peaceful resistance, especially since, according to official police  data, these cabins were not on the territory of a private company,"  activists note, urging citizens to gather near the second guard post  of Amulsar. "Thanks to the nonviolent struggle, this environmental  problem should finally get a positive solution. We also call to go to  the buildings of the RA Government, the Ministry of Nature  Protection, the National Assembly and demand that they do not sit  idly by, "the statement reads.

Meanwhile, green activists are already gathering in Jermuk to move by  road to Amulsar.

To recall, the "Special Security Service" has been protecting the  property of Lydian Armenia since June 30 of this year. Its activities  have repeatedly caused tension in the field area. In particular,  under the onslaught of demands put forward by activists, the Service  had to remove its reserve staff from the territory of the guard post,  leaving only one change of guards. In addition, the organization  promised not to replace the armed guards, since the weapons they have  with them only heat up an already difficult situation.

Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of the British offshore company Lydian  International. The total cost of the Amulsar project is $ 370  million. The life of the deposit is 10 years and 4 months, while it  is planned to extract an average of 200 thousand ounces of gold  annually.

The Amulsar field is the second largest in Armenia. According to the  company, the deposit contains about 73,733 kg of gold with an average  grade of 0.78 g per tonne, and 294.367 tonnes of silver with an  average grade of 9.29 grams per tonne. It is located in the  south-east of the country, 13 km from the resort town of Jermuk,  between the rivers Arpa and Vorotan. Environmentalists and ordinary  citizens are concerned that the operation 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 reserves at the deposit.  Thus, in his  work "Uranium content of geological formations in Armenia", the  famous scientist, Doctor of Geological Sciences Petros Aloyan,  referring to the data of the Gromov expedition, noted that the  Amulsar uranium occurrence is located 4 km south-east of the village  of Kechut and 5 km to northwest of the top of the mountain of the  same name. Approximately 76 tons of uranium have been calculated for  five areas of Amulsar, and taking into account uranium in the thorium  area, its total reserves can be estimated at 100 tons. Moreover,  according to the research of another scientist, Professor G.S.  Avagyan, according to 40 samples of Amulsar ore, there are 195 tons  of uranium and thorium. Meanwhile, the development of uranium  deposits requires a special permission from the government, which  Lydian Armenia does not have.