KAPAN ON THRESHOLD OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER – ENVIRONMENTALISTS RAISE ALARM

On February 23 “For Sustainable Human Development” NGO President Karien Danielyan, “EcoLur” Informational NGO President Inga Zarafyan and ‘Green Kapan’ Group Member Lala Aslikyan spoke about environmental problems in Kapan at the press conference held in Armat Club. Below we present published articles. 

TOXIC POTATOES ARE THE NEW "DISH" OF THE SOUTH OF ARMENIA  
ArmInfo 

The environmental situation in the Syunik region of Armenia still causes the experts' concern. The town of Kapan that has become a hostage of ore mining industry has the biggest number of unresolved problems. Head of EcoLur NGO Inga Zarafyan said that the town is surrounded by various dangerous objects, including the Geghanush and Artsvanik tailing dumps. The hard ecological situation is aggravated by the fact that the local residents grow vegetables and pasture at the closed tailing dumps and on the lands contaminated with high-density metals. 

"These products go to the markets and the buyers know nothing about their origin. Meanwhile, high-density metals find themselves in the milk and plants, and then in the human organism, seriously threatening the human health", she stressed at today's press conference. Environmentalists have repeatedly pointed out the places where one can find dangerous products: the former Soviet co-operative farm of Syunik, where the lands are contaminated with high-density metals, the Norashenik river contaminated as a result of the activity of Deno Gold Mining, where cattle grazes. However, the social situation is that the local residents have nothing to do but take up agriculture in the dangerous zones. "One more threat for Syunik region is the radon gas, which may endanger human health. According to experts, one can find radon in the deposits containing gold and silver at the same time. Unfortunately, Shahumyan deposit belongs to that type", said Zarafyan. She added that after the excitement in the mass media, Deno Gold Mining does not publish its plans about opencasting any more, however, environmentalists do not consider this a victory yet. 

"It is not ruled out that this issue will be raised once again after the scandal goes up in smoke", she said. The residents of Syunik share the environmentalists' pessimism, and their concern does not only concern the Shahumyan deposit, but also the uranium prospecting project. "They say that the residents simply suffer from uranium phobia, but in fact the situation is much more complicated: people see that there is no distinct state strategy, therefore they are afraid for their life and future", said Zarafyan. 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS POSE THREAT TO SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN REGIONS - ENVIRONMENTALIST 
Tert.am 

The open exploitation of mines is a serious environmental challenge for certain regions of Armenia, environmentalist Karine Danielyan has told reporters. 

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, she voiced concerns over the situation in the southern and northern regions of Armenia. 

"The process over the twenty years of our independence come to show we are losing the southern and northern parts of Armenia," she said, adding that the abundance of waste and tailings dumps negatively affected agriculture and tourism as well. 

"We cannot obtain ecologically pure agricultural products in a polluted environment," she said. 

Danielyan also spoke about a two-headed calf which was recently born in Sotk village of Gegharkunik marz. 

"We were happy for the monstrous creature born in Sotk, one of the most contaminated areas of Armenia that has a high concentration of heavy metals. If we really want to expose ourselves to mutations or have sick children, we have to say everything is all right," she added.