The municipal council of Vedi, led by Mayor Garik Sargsyan, has unanimously approved a project to conduct expert research for mining operations at Karmir Sar.
The plan, submitted by ORD Group LLC, concerns the exploitation rights for limestone marl (clay-limestone) deposits located within the administrative area of the village of Ginevet in Vedi. The project also falls under the framework of an environmental impact assessment, according to Factor.am .
On October 13, preliminary public hearings on the same project were held in Ginevet. The proposal includes not only the open-pit mining of the limestone marl deposit but also the construction of a cement plant.
According to the project’s authors, initial investment is estimated at 25 million drams, with the possibility of increasing up to 35 million if needed.
However, environmental activists and local residents have raised concerns about the potential risks of open-pit mining, warning that it could severely harm agriculture in the region. They also noted that the area is home to plant species listed in the Red Book of Armenia.
