The inhabitants of Mets Airum rural community are demonstrating against the plans on building a new Akhtala ore mining plant tailing dump. Oleg Dulgaryan, a member of the community’s Council of Elders, reported about that during a press-conference on February 24. According to him, the new tailing dump is to be located next to Mets Airum and Chochkan rural communities and will occupy 40 hectares territory. Meanwhile, it is planned to transform the agricultural lands into industrial ones for the construction of the dump. Dulgaryan emphasized the fact that the dwellers already lacked grazing and plough lands. The situation will only worsen in case the tailing dump is built on lands of agricultural designation.
It was also mentioned, that for many years the locals were unhappy with the situation of the currently operating Nahatak tailing dump of the same Akhtala ore mining plant. "Mets Airum dwellers are complaining on health deterioration. Besides, our livestock has repeatedly fallen into the dump because of the noncompliance with the object's security form", said Dulgaryan. According to him, Mets Airum dwellers are demonstrating against the would-be tailing dump. The community's Council of Elders has twice held meetings on the transformation of the lands of agricultural designation this year. The next discussions are designated to take place on February 26. "There is no escaping the impression that the local self-governing authorities of Mets Airum are interested in finding a positive solution to this problem", he mentioned. Dulgaryan also mentioned that the tailing dump project had not been yet submitted for an environmental examination. Thus, public consultations are still to be held on this project.
In return, Hakob Sanasaryan, the Head of the "Greens Union of Armenia" NGO, mentioned that in 2002 there had already been 2.5 million tons of tailings in Nahatak dump (mining activities waste). As mentioned, 12 villages are located within 2.5-8 km from the tailing dump, which may pollute their grazing and plough lands. The expert reminded that the dump contained elements dangerous to health such as selenium, bismuth and cadmium. These elements cause visual and hearing impairment, as well as lung and nervous system diseases. It is to be reminded that Maksim Hakobyan, ex-Director General of Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), currently Council Chair of ZCMC, became the new owner of the plant in summer 2014. Before that Akhtala ore mining plant had belonged to "Metal Prince LTD", a company registered on the British Nevis island. The company launched its activities in Armenia in 2000. Vazgen Vardanyan, the chief of the production department of the plant, previously reported that Akhtala ore mining plant had plans on raising the production of copper concentrate up to 1.4-1.6 thousand tons in 2015 instead of the planned 1.2 thousand tons in 2014.