Hearings in Ginevet village regarding  Karmir Sar mine operation   unlawfully halted - environmental activist

ArmInfo.The public hearings in the village of Ginevet, Vedi community, Ararat Province, regarding the extraction of the Karmir Sar (Red Mountain - ed.)  limestone marl mineral were unlawfully halted as not all questions  and statements were heard. Environmentalist Oleg Dulgaryan made this  claim during the hearing on October 13.

Based on the hearing broadcast, it was prematurely halted due to a  tense situation in the courtroom. The situation escalated into a  verbal confrontation between the project's authors and the activists,  with offensive language being used. In response, administration  representatives ended the hearings early, citing repetitive questions  as the reason. Environmentalist Oleg Dulgaryan, who was present at  the hearings, along with other activists, protested by chanting,  "Shame! The public hearings didn't take place. Not all questions and  speeches were heard-they were unlawfully halted."

During the hearings, a resident of the  village mentioned the  presence of  endemic or Red Book-listed plants in the area. However,  the mining initiator presented a report from the Takhtadzhyan  Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences stating that  there are no endangered or protected plants within the mining area.

In turn, Nazeli Vardanyan, the head of the public organization  "Forests of Armenia," insisted on the existence of these plants,  providing a report from the Ministry of Agriculture. Environmental  activists also called on civil society representatives to prevent  mining operations in this area due to potential risks.

Note that the hearings on the mine's operation were presented by Ord  Group LLC. The project also includes the construction of a cement  plant at this site.