Thursday, August 4, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

Environmentalists Continue Fight to Save Lake Sevan from Toxic Mining Venture

by Asbarez Staff
June 4, 2009
in Featured Story, News, Top Stories
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
lakesevan
Lake Sevan

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Growing environmental concerns over plans by a Russian-owned mining company to build a gold processing plant near Armenia’s legendary Lake Sevan are prompting opposition to the project from some government officials, according to the head of an environmental NGO working to save the lake from additional contamination.

The proposed plant, to be situated about 10 kilometers away from Sevan, would reportedly include a reservoir for cyanide and toxic chemicals and a dump for cyanide waste. Those toxins could seep into underground water conduits and enter the 1,200-square-meter body of water, one of the world’s largest high-altitude lakes and the sole source for 90 percent of Armenia’s fresh water supplies.

According to Inga Zarafyan, chairperson of Yerevan’s Ecolur information center, warnings raised by her group and other concerned social activists have led Armenia’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Armen Movsisyan, and Economic Minister Nerses Yeritsyan to raise concerns over the project. The President of the Lake Sevan Committee, Vladimir Movsisyan, she added, has also expressed his opposition to the building of the processing plant so close to Sevan.

The GeoProMining Company, headquartered in Moscow, and with copper, gold and other mines in Armenia, Georgia and Russia, wants to build the processing plant at its Sotk gold mine, 10 kilometers from Sevan. Reducing transportation costs for ore processing is its reported goal. Currently, Sotk’s ore must be transported 263 kilometers south to another GeoProMining processing center.

Fresh hazards to Sevan could mean fresh damage to the Ararat Valley, which provides about 70 percent of Armenia’s fruit and vegetables and which takes needed irrigation waters from Sevan. “Armenia will cease to exist, if the lake is contaminated,” commented former environmental protection minister Karine Danielian.

The government has not yet officially endorsed or opposed the project but both the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Regional Management confirm that they have discussed the proposed processing center, Neither ministry, however, has yet received a written project proposal from GeoProMining, ministry representatives told EurasiaNet.

But the environmental protection ministry’s assurances of caution will carry little weight in the face of a December 2008 pledge from GeoProMining to invest $350 million into Armenia’s gold-mining sector between 2009 and 2011. Precious and non-ferrous metals are among Armenia’s top exports.

“They gave similar assurances regarding the [Armenian Copper Program’s] copper-molybdenum mine exploitation and the plant mine’s construction in Teghut,” commented Zarafian told EurasiaNet in reference to the ministry. “They promised they would not allow the logging of 670 hectares of forest, but they approved the plan and we lost the best forests in Armenia.”

President Serzh Sarkisian, for his part, has signaled that the government is keeping its options open. Speaking to residents of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province, where Sevan is located, Sarkisian said the government’s decision to endorse or oppose the project will be determined by a cost-benefit analysis. 

Sarkisian said the government will back the venture if it believes that the plant will be of economic benefit,  and will drop support for it if it proves to do more harm than good.

According to Zarifyan the President is waiting for more concrete evidence on the Sotk plant’s economic benefit. She added that GeoProMining is now conducting feasibility studies to that effect and the studies should be completed by this October.

Environmentalists had initially looked to the Law on Lake Sevan to stop GeoProMining’s plans. Article 10 of Armenia’s 2001 Law on Lake Sevan bans the establishment of processing plants in the lake’s basin.  Despite that, activists contend that the parliament may soon amend the law – under government instruction – to clear legal hurdles for the gold-processing plant. Opposition Heritage Party members of parliament echo that view.

Zarifyan echoed that concern, saying she believes the company will most likely lobby the government to change the law to allow for the plant’s construction.

Zarifyan also said that GeoProMining’s Executive Director, as well as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of its subsidiary in Armenia, GeoProMining Gold, have threatened to halt all operations in Armenia if they are not granted the right to relocate the Sotk plant to Sevan. Presently, the mineral ore extracted from Sotk is reprocessed in Ararat.

GeoProGold Board Chairman Vardan Vardanian has declined interview requests and has put an embargo on comments by company spokesperson.

Similarly, both Armenia’s environmental protection ministry and GeoProMining have refused to discuss the project or to address potential risks highlighted by environmental activists.

For its part, GeoProMining maintains that it shares the concern for Lake Sevan’s environment. In an April 26 television interview with Yerkir Media TV, GeoProGold Board Chairman Vardanian stated that the company plans to use mining technologies that will eliminate the risk of environmental damage to Sevan. “We will refuse to exploit the mine and will stop work if there is the slightest [environmental] hazard,” he said.

The former director of the Sevan National Park, however, argues that the area’s landslides and seismic activity may trump any such technologies. “No one can guarantee the [toxic waste] dump against an earthquake. The smallest crack is enough to have the toxins penetrate into underground water,” said Gagik Sukhudian. Fears of potential shelling from nearby Azerbaijani army positions underline that danger, he added.

To identify potential environmental ramifications, GeoProMining has commissioned research by the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Hydro-Ecology and Ichthyology. The Academy declined to discuss the findings with EurasiaNet.

The amount of waste likely to be generated by the proposed gold-processing plant has not yet been defined, but former environmental protection minister Danielian estimates the total at 100 million tons over 10 years. GeoProMining representatives did not provide a figure. It remains uncertain whether GeoProMining-commissioned research can clarify the environmental-impact picture.

The company’s reluctance to discuss the project has only fired environmentalists’ criticisms.

SOS Sevan, an alliance of concerned environmental groups, is afraid that if GeoProMining is allowed to set up shop on the shores of Lake Sevan it will open the doors for other companies to follow. The alliance has said it is preparing to expand its advocacy activities to raise awareness about the dangers of the Sotk project.

Tags: Ararat Valleyarmen movsisyanarmenian environmental degradationecologyEnvironmental MinisterGegharkunikGeoProMininggreen movementlake sevannational academy of sciencesnatural resources ministerserzh sarkisianSOS Sevan
Asbarez Staff

Asbarez Staff

Next Post

Armenia, Azerbaijan Agree to Move Forward with Karabakh Talks

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Congressional Armenian Caucus Leaders Condemn Azerbaijan’s Latest Attempt to Ethnically Cleanse Artsakh’s Armenians

Congressional Armenian Caucus Leaders Condemn Azerbaijan’s Latest Attempt to Ethnically Cleanse Artsakh’s Armenians

8 hours ago
Through Use of Force, Azerbaijan is Forcing Concessions from Artsakh, Says Human Rights Defender

Through Use of Force, Azerbaijan is Forcing Concessions from Artsakh, Says Human Rights Defender

19 hours ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

Accessibility

Accessibility modes

Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Online Dictionary

    Readable Experience

    Content Scaling
    Default
    Text Magnifier
    Readable Font
    Dyslexia Friendly
    Highlight Titles
    Highlight Links
    Font Sizing
    Default
    Line Height
    Default
    Letter Spacing
    Default
    Left Aligned
    Center Aligned
    Right Aligned

    Visually Pleasing Experience

    Dark Contrast
    Light Contrast
    Monochrome
    High Contrast
    High Saturation
    Low Saturation
    Adjust Text Colors
    Adjust Title Colors
    Adjust Background Colors

    Easy Orientation

    Mute Sounds
    Hide Images
    Virtual Keyboard
    Reading Guide
    Stop Animations
    Reading Mask
    Highlight Hover
    Highlight Focus
    Big Dark Cursor
    Big Light Cursor
    Navigation Keys

    Asbarez.com Accessibility Statement

    Accessibility Statement

    • asbarez.com
    • August 4, 2022

    Compliance status

    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

    Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

    If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

    Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

    Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

    1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Disability profiles supported in our website

    • Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

    1. Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
    2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
    3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
    4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
    5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
    6. Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
    7. Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

    Browser and assistive technology compatibility

    We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to