Residents and pastures of Ayrum endangered
Today Oleg Durgaryan, Head of the Community Mobilization and Support Center NGO, while speaking about building a new tailing dump in Ayrum by Akhtala Ore Processing Combine, highlighted that the tailing dump caused many problems: the residents of the community are complaining of their health condition. What’s more, economy has been much damaged, as many domestic animals fell into the tailing dump. “The planned tailing dump is bigger than the previous and it will occupy the pastures of the village. Ayrum village has already had the problem of pastures and even nearby Chochkan village residents have brought their livestock to Ayrum’s pastures,” he said. The Ministry of Nature Protection informed that research would be carried out in order to calculate the present dangers and possible risks. Member of Pan-Armenian Environmental Front, environmentalist Levon Galstyan doesn’t believe in these statements by the Ministry of Nature Protection, as he thinks until now no preventive measure has been taken. Green Union Head Hakob Sanasaryan touched upon those health problems, which are caused by the tailings. He says that for example copper can cause liver or kidney functions’ disorder, zinc- memory loss, hearing problems etc. It should be noted that relevant employees of Ministry of Nature Protection were invited to the discussion, who refused to take part in the discussion for different reasons.
