Environmentalists Stage Protest Over Exploitation of Amulsar Gold Mine

A group of environmentalists today held a protest outside the Government building in Yerevan over the implementation of the Amulsar Gold Project, appealing to the cabinet of ministers to prevent the exploitation of the mine.  

The demonstrators, who are concerned that the mining project will negatively affect Armenia’s ecological and national security, held up posters that read “Go to Cyanide Hell,” “Water or Cyanide?” “No Mining at Amulsar,” “Hands off Armenia.” They also handed out leaflets to passers-by with the following content: “Lydian International, [the implementer of the project], plans to process 10 million tons of ore anually, while gold will be extracted with poisonous sodium cyanide the facility of which will be located 1 km from Gndevaz village, 300 meters from Arpa river and 7 km from Jermuk resort town. 

“[The project] threatens Armenia’s water resources and Jermuk resort town famous for its mineral waters. This project creates unmanageable risks for Vorotan-Arpa-Sevan water tunnel, as well as for lake Sevan, Kechut and Spandaryan reservoirs, Vorotan and Arpa rivers.”