Ministry Rejects Lydian's Water Use Application

The Ministry of Environment has informed the 'Armenian Environmental Front' initiative that the minister’s order No. 353A dated October 25, 2019, has rejected the water use application submitted by Lydian Armenia for the exploitation of the Amulsar mine.

It is noted that the company had applied to the ministry for a permit to extract 40 liters per second of water from the Darb River for industrial purposes in the administrative territory of the Zaritap community in Vayots Dzor province. The Armenian Environmental Front (AEF), together with other citizens and experts, participated in the discussion of the permit project and submitted observations and objections to the minister, clearly outlining the professional arguments on which the application should be rejected.

The minister’s order specifically states that the study of the application revealed that there are other water users in the Darb River and its catchment area. To clarify the actual situation, the ministry conducted a river flow study at the point of water extraction claimed by the company in October, which revealed that the actual flow of the river does not exceed the environmental flow calculated for the Darb River for the month of October (150 liters per second).

According to Article 5, Section 24 of the RA Water Code, 'satisfying the demands of water users at the expense of ecological flows is prohibited.' Furthermore, according to Section 2 of Article 30.1 of the same law, a water use permit application is rejected if 'the water resources are insufficient to grant a water use permit, or the required water use permit does not meet the requirements for the conservation of national water resources or water standards.'

Considering the fact that the free flow of the Darb River is insufficient for the requested water use, the minister ordered the rejection of Lydian Armenia's application for a water use permit to extract 1.244 million cubic meters of water annually for industrial purposes, 24 hours a day for 360 days a year.