BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 15. Deaths from drinking Jermuk mineral water contaminated by the Amuldag field must be thoroughly probed, a statement of the Environmental Protection First (EPF) coalition said, Trend reports.
The EPF coalition has often stated that the relentless
exploitation of Armenia's Amuldag (Amulsar) field without regard
for environmental regulations contaminates groundwater. The mining
industry's waste, which contains heavy metals, is inflicting
significant damage to Istisu's mineral resources.
In this regard, it is critical to thoroughly investigate the
poisoning death of a resident of the Russian city of Vladikavkaz
who drank Jermuk mineral water purchased from an Armenian Jermuk
Group store.
According to available information, this is not the first such case, and the sale of Jermuk mineral water in North Ossetia has already been suspended. Several years ago, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that Jermuk mineral water imported from Armenia contains cyanide at a level 50 times higher than the norm. Subsequently, the sale of this mineral water was also banned in the US, the UAE, and several European countries. Cyanide oxide powder is mainly mixed with drinking water sources in areas where mining is carried out without adhering to environmental standards.
The Environmental Protection First coalition once again demands that the Armenian authorities immediately cease mining operations at the Amuldag field and create conditions for monitoring by independent experts, Azerbaijani ecologists, and experts from other countries.
The heavy metal-containing mining waste generated from the exploitation of the Amuldag gold field is discharged into the Bargushad (Vorotan) River, which also pollutes the Araz river through the Hakari river. The field is located in the area between Arpachay and Bazarchay. Both rivers flow through the territory of Azerbaijan and flow into the Araz river. The use of long-prohibited toxic substances, posing a high danger to the environment in the exploitation of the Amuldag field, is destroying nature and causing a lethal impact on the ecosystem of the Goycha (Sevan) lake.
Such exploitation of the Amuldag field poses a serious threat to the region surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains and its population," the statement noted.
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