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EcoLur: Will Artsvanik community fall under tailing dump or not

Economy
arcvanik

Artsvanik community residents are concerned with the expansion of Artsvanik tailing dump area. Artsvanik tailing dumps is a part of 'Zangezour Copper and Molybdenum Combine' CJSC infrastructures. According to 'Zangezour Copper and Molybdenum Combine EIA Report' project, Artsvanik tailing dump is designed for 310 million m3 tails, EcoLur reports. As of 1 January 2014, the tailing dump has been filled with 95 million m3 tails. Annually 14 million tons of tails is dumped into the tailing dump mixed with around 40 million m3 water. According to Artsvanik Community Head Anushavan Harutyunyan, 240 ha was first taken from Artsvanik community in 1973 for the needs of the tailing dump, then 102 ha in 2006. In 2011 with the governmental resolution 627-N 277 ha land area should have been alienated from Artsvanik for the purposes of the tailing dump. Nevertheless, this governmental resolution was recognized as eminent domain. On 21 May 2015 the Armenian Government recognized eminent domain over 491,8093 ha land areas within the administrative borders of Artsvanik, Sevaqar, Atchanan, Chapni and Syunik Communities. Most land area shall be alienated from Artsvanik community – 274.8378 ha. 'If everything continues like this, it means our village will turn into a tailing dump. No, we are against it. We won't allow our ancestors' village to go to the combine and to make it a tailing dump. We have cemeteries near here, which are located in the are adjacent to the tailing dump...I don't think that either the government or the authorities or Qajaran combine would allow it...we won't understand that... This problem shall be solved in a way not to have negative impact either for us, or the combine or the state,' the villagers said in their talk with EcoLur. Artsvanik Community Head mentioned that during the consultation on land areas the combine administration assured them that they don't intend to expand the tailing dump area any more. 'I told them during the consultation that villagers are concerned as the matter whether or not they will stay here is solved.'