Residents in the village of Yelpin of Armenia’s Vayots Dzor province and the local community head say residents have adopted a statement that should block the Argamik mining company from prospecting in the ecologically-sensitive village of about 1,400.

The company began work in the village on the basis of a license issued by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources dated Sept. 5, 2008, which allows the company to map the territory for copper and molybdenum.

According to Yelpin village deputy head Artsruni Alaverdyan, the Village Council believes that the mining company has no legal right to prospect or mine without written consent of the territory’s owners.

“It is particularly mentioned in the license provision limiting the user right that work can not be conducted without the written consent, if the area has an owner. In this case, the owner is the Yelpin community, which is enshrined in Article 87 of the Land Code,” says Alaverdyan.

Yelpin is located about 100 kilometer from Yerevan on the border with Azerbaijan. Accordng to the deputy village head, the area in question holds the village’s only water source.

“If they start work, those elements will activate, in which case the water will become unfit for use,” says Alaverdyan.

The area also has historical monuments, khachkars (cross-stones) and graves. There is also a unique grove of dwarf birch-trees, and flora and fauna entered into the Red Book of endangered species.

Yelpin residents are also concerned that new exploration will lead to exposure to uranium, which was previously mined in the area.

The Village Council plans to appeal to the Government to designate the territory as a specially protected area.