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7 Comments

1. I am very disappointed in Armenia and the Diaspora that this terrible harm to the environment is being done.

   I noticed this excerpt from the Noyan Tapan article cited at the bottom of the above article.

   “Who supports Lydian in this much criticized gold-mining project?
   We chose to skip investment companies and hedge-funds
   here, and instead, we focus on connections of well-known Armenian
   philantropist-businessmen and development organisations
   with mining business. Interestingly, all of these businessmen have
   high-level presence in the Armenian General Benevolent Union
   (AGBU) …”.

   So what do these Diasporan businessmen and AGBU have to say for themselves?
   We are waiting for answers.

   • Thank you, J.D., for this enlightening compte rendu. And thank you, Talin, for your additional remarks.

     To take it a step further, the Noyan Tapan article “names names.” They include (but are not limited to) the following “businessmen-philanthropists”:

     Ruben Vardanyan
     Noubar Afeyan
     Joseph Oughourlian
     Vahan Kololian

     Are these fellows part of a “protected class” about whom we cannot utter or publish a negative word simply because they have attempted to burnish their reputations by donating to some high-profile benevolent projects?

2. This article would be more useful if there were some scientific data rather than descriptions like “green” or “ugly”. Samples of water and soil and tailings could be analyzed to determine whether they are toxic. Technical data would be more productive in holding the mine owners accountable for any toxic or harmful releases. I am sure the technology exists for safer operations, and public pressure would result in change.

3. Here is the scientific data that the Environmentalists in Armenia gathered. Similar unimaginable destruction to the eco-system Lydian is doing in the Lori region in Teghut completely shaving the forest of a hill and destroying agricultural prospects for 2 villages as well as having large effect on the underground water. http://pknewspapers.com/armenia/english/noyan-tapan.html

4. Technical details on Amulsar’s effect on the environment are in Noyan Tapan, available in print and on-lline. Pollution details on many regions in Armenia are available via Internet searches using terms such as “Debet river pollution Armenia”, or “pollution in Kapan”. There also have been numerous demonstrations against mining operations and other actions damaging the environment.

5. All the mining sector in Armenia are in the hands of officials and their partners through off shore accounts.
   Its a disaster for the environment plus they are mostly rip off deals for the country with no tangible benefits for the country as the minuses of these deals exceed the pluses.

6. For some people to hear the truth is always very painful. They will say anything and do anything to justify such rip off deals.

   Sadly the AGBU is not what it should be doing according to its constitution as has gone widely adrift from its original tasks and hence it has lost so much support amongst the people.

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