Environmentalists are worried that the open exploitation of the gold mine in Amulsar, 16 kilometers outside Jermuk, Vayots Dzor province, will cause great damage to the region in terms of pollution and will harm the ecosystem of the area, known for its mineral water and health sanitariums.

Environmentalists worry that blasting for minerals will release heavy metals into the air.

“Cyanide in the air will cause respiratory tract problems,” says Knarik Grigoryan, head of Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE) NGO. “This fine powder, which can be spread up to 30 kilometers, covers plants, passes to the animal chain and eventually reaches us [people].”

The exploitation of the mine will be realized by British ‘Lydian International’ company and its subsidiary ‘Geotim’ company, which was granted a license and can proceed exploitation at will.

Armen Stepanyan, manager on environmental and social affairs of ‘Geotim’ company, not sharing environmentalists’ concerns, says that a subtle percentage of uranium has been revealed during a geological survey. According to Stepanyan, the samples of ore have been sent to the Czech Republic, and have been checked in terms of the existence of radioactive elements in them, and they correspond to the strictest demands.

Hydro-ecologist Ruben Yadoyan told ArmeniaNow that the explosions in the mine will affect the earth’s interior in the region.

“One should not play with the earth’s crust. Who can insure us that the cracks which will appear on the surface of the earth after the expositions will not be closed and the mineral water will not change the direction of flow? Heavy metals may appear in the water. How is it possible to do such a thing under so close to Jermuk?” Yadoyan says.