Azerbaijani environmentalists call on Yerevan to halt work at Amulsar gold mine

The Environmental Protection First coalition supports the statement by Armenian civil society organisations calling for a halt to environmentally damaging work at the Amuldag gold mine ("Amulsar").

Caliber.Az reports that the Environmental Protection First coalition said in a statement: "We thank our colleagues from Armenia for their support. As a result of this solidarity, the work that was planned in Arazdeyen has recently been stopped. As eco-activists and more than 100 civil society organisations in Armenia have pointed out, the Amoulsar gold mine project poses a threat to biodiversity and water resources. The Armenian government and Lydian Armenia have failed to take into account the results of the mine's environmental impact assessment.

Waste from the operation of the Amuldag ("Amulsar") mine, which has been repeatedly challenged and ruled against by international bodies, contains heavy metals and is discharged into the Bargushad (Vorotan) River and pollutes the Araz River via the Khakari River. Such exploitation of the Amuldag ("Amulsar") deposit poses a serious threat to the Caucasus region and its people.

The Amuldag field is located 13 kilometres from the town of Istisu (Jermuk) and its exploitation is causing irreparable damage to the mineral springs of Istisu. The field is also located in the area between Arpachay and Bazarchay. Both rivers cross Azerbaijan and flow into the Araz River. In addition to polluting the waters of this river, gold mining also has a negative impact on the ecosystem of Lake Geycha (Sevan), Armenia's largest freshwater lake, which is located nearby. This extractive industry also poses a serious threat to the Caspian Sea basin.

The field is operated by Lydian Armenia, a subsidiary of the UK-based Lydian International. The company's main shareholders are Orion Mine Finance (USA), Resource Capital Funds (USA), Merk Investments and Tocqueville Asset Management LP.

We call on the Armenian government and the companies involved in gold mining at the Amoulsar mine to immediately cease operations that are being carried out without regard to environmental regulations. We are ready to start monitoring the Amoulsar gold mine together with international organisations, civil society organisations and environmental structures of Armenia and other countries. The Armenian authorities should take responsibility for their actions and allow eco-monitoring of mining operations".