The news about conducting research in the vicinity of the Armanis gold mine has sparked a wave of protests among residents and environmental activists in Stepanavan. Residents and activists aimed to disrupt today's public hearings to prevent the company from obtaining the right to explore new areas, which would likely lead to an application for a mining license.
Today, at three locations — in Stepanavan, Armanis, and Urasar — activists at the public hearings chanted "No to mining," trying to persuade mining companies to withdraw their intentions regarding the mine.
Their main argument is that Stepanavan should become a center for tourism, not a victim of mining, and therefore mining operations would directly undermine the future development of Stepanavan and surrounding areas.
Stepanavan activists sent us photos of the mine and the Chknag River, showing how a yellowish mass is leaking from the lower part of the mine and flowing into the Chknag River.
Stanislav Morozov, director of the company "Sagamart," stated that they conducted studies in the southern and southwestern areas of the Armanis gold-multimetal mine, but the results showed that the ore does not match their processing technology.
"We conducted studies from 2008 to 2011, drilling 4 km deep, and realized that there is ore that requires cyanide processing, while we work near water bodies and rivers, and such processing could cause additional pollution," he said.
Morozov also noted that the company "Hayasa Resources" is currently conducting studies in those areas.
"We do not enter the territory of the water lilies, which is on the other bank of the river, about 2.5 km away," he added.
However, residents continue to worry as the drainage water has not stopped flowing into the Chknag River.
"We built a purification pond to minimize pollution going into the river because it is a very beautiful area," he said.
Activists argue that mining will undermine the development prospects of Stepanavan, while the businessman assures that they are trying to minimize pollution.
