YEREVAN, MARCH 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Sulphur dioxide emissions from the Alaverdi Copper Smelting Complex amount to 24 thousand tons annually, for which Armenian Copper Program (ACP) CJSC makes an environmental protection payment of 120 mln drams (about 288 thousand USD) every year. NT correspondent was informed from Marzpet Kamalian, Deputy Head of the State Environmental Protection Inspection of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection that these emissions exceed 4-8fold the permissible norm. According to him, in 2005 ACP company presented a 5-year program of environmental protection measures, under which in 2008 the complex's emissions shall be reduced by 10%, while starting from January 2009 - by 70%. M. Kamalian said that if the program obligations are not fulfilled in time, the environmemtal payment to be made by the company will be increased several times, as a result of which the complex will either close or be declared bankrupt. ACP Director Gagik Arzumanian noted that the most widespread method of reducing exhaust gases is to produce sulphuric acid from them. However, according to him, there are no prospects of sulphuric acid production in Armenia now because such production can be organized only in conditions of a stable and reliable sale market. That is why the company tries to find other solutions to this problem. In the words of Samvel Jamalian, a resident of the city of Alaverdi, the complex does not use titanium filters and a dam to prevent arsenic from being poured into the Debed River. "Filters were cut and sold, while the dam is dilapidated and nobody builds a new one," he said, adding that in recent year cases of congenital defects and various diseases have become frequent in Alaverdi. The ACP director explained that no filter or other similar equipment was dismantled and sold from the enterprise which was re-launched in late 1997. At the same time, G. Arzumanian noted that filters do not reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide: their main function is to clean gases of dust in order to process them. As for the dam, according to G. Arzumanian, unlike previously, now copper is not refined at the plant so dangerous elements, including arsenic, remain in concentrate. That is, the company sells unrefined black copper. "The "arsenik graveyard" in Alaverdi belongs to the former factory and has no relation to ACP company," G. Arzumanian noted.

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