BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 29. Armenia's exploitation of the Amuldag gold mine also harms its citizens, Gamza Yusubova, chairwoman of the Environmental Education and Monitoring Public Association, told Trend.
"Environmental Protection First (EPF) coalition has repeatedly appealed to the Armenian side regarding the activities of its mining industry, which is carried out without observing any environmental standards," Yusubova said.
She emphasized that the documents related to the environmental impact assessment of this activity were presented to the Armenian side.
"However, the exploitation of Amuldag (Amulsar) gold deposit in Armenia is underway without any compliance with environmental norms and without taking into account the environmental impact assessment documents. During mining at the Amuldag mine, waste containing heavy metals is discharged into the Bargushad River, polluting also the Araz River through the Khakari River. This seriously damages the environment and natural diversity. Amuldag deposit is located 13 kilometers away from Istisu town, a natural mineral water deposit, and the exploitation of the Amuldag deposit causes serious damage to Istisu mineral springs, which also creates problems for people's health. At the same time, it poses a great threat to the Caspian Sea basin through the Araz River. This poses serious problems not only for Azerbaijan but also for other Caspian countries," Yusubova added.
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