BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Armenia intends to relocate environmentally hazardous metallurgical plant in Arazdayan (Yeraskh) settlement, Trend reports.
According to Armenian media, the site adjacent to Ararat city is being considered the most likely option.
Previously, the Azerbaijani government demanded that Armenia suspend the construction of a large metallurgical plant in Arazdayan, bordering the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.
Besides, Azerbaijani environmental activists sent an open letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, mentioning Armenian enterprises polluting the environment.
The letter stated that the degradation of the ecosystem as a result of ongoing mining operations is not only a threat to Armenia's environment, but also a significant threat to neighboring countries, and demanded that Armenia immediately halt work in the mining industry, which threatens the region and the planet as a whole..
In addition, the letter pointed out that the construction of a new metallurgical plant in Arazdayan, which is being built against the requirements of environmental norms and international conventions, should also be stopped.
According to the letter, the potential impacts of toxic chemical waste from this metallurgical plant on the local ecosystem could be enormous.
The discharge of waste into the Araz river means tragedy for the creatures living in the river and for the large farms that use the Araz water for irrigation. This impact on drinking water supplies can also lead to the spread of infectious diseases in border areas. This will create a serious public health crisis for both Azerbaijan and Armenia, the letter concluded.