Local Environmental NGO ECOLUR Demanding Global Gold Shut down TOUKHMANUK Gold Mine

The Environmental NGO's just want Global Gold to shut down their operations. WHY?

There appears to be environmental damage to the locla environment and citizens from surrounding communities, especially the Village of Melik, do not support the building of a thrid Tailings Damn,

You would figure that Mr. Van Z. Krikorian, a "respected" lawyer and Trustee of the Armenian Assembly of America, would make sure the Armenian people that he has been fighting for all his life are not trampled upon by a corporation that does not appear to take care of their environmental responsibilities. But Mr.Van Z. Krikorian is the President, Director and Corporate Counsel of Global Gold Corp. the Operator of the TOUKHMNUK Gold Mine.

Read the open Letter below or click on this Link to take you to the site :

Union of Greens of Armenia and Public Environmental Alliance Addressed Open Letter to Global Gold Corporation Owner

14:31 January 28, 2013

EcoLur

The Union of Greens of Armenia and the Public Environmental Alliance has circulated in social networks and press an open letter addressed to the Chairman and CEO of Global Gold Corporation Van Krikorian. The letter particularly says, "American" Global Gold "Corporation develops a number of mines in opencast manner in Armenia destroying and polluting the environment. Tukhmanuk is one of these mines, the main stock of its Shares belongs to Van Krikorian. Meliq Village is located next to the mine. Water Supply and Drainage Systems have already been Destroyed in the territory. The quality of drinking water and irrigation water has deteriorated to a huge extent. Water will not turn into one unsuitable for use, If the volume of ore is increased. Two tailing dumps are located on the sloped of the gorge of Getik River. The content of the tailing dumps overflows to the Getik River, flows into the Kasagh Which Further, Hrazdan and Araks Rivers. That is, the Operation of the Tukhmanuk undermnines not only Melik Village and neighboring VILLAGES, but the Whole Ararat Valley. Toxic wastes and tails contain heavy metals, which find themselves in land areas and agricultural products through the irrigation system. In floured condition they are spread via winds polluting air, plough land areas, pastures and water springs. Moreover, At present Global Gold has Proposed to construct the tailing dump next to the First Third Two ones. Meliq Villagers State the number has increased since the Development of Cancer Diseases was launched, especially Women and Children is the Situation with rather serious. The Villagers are defenseless in regard with the prevention and relief of serious consequences. During our meetings it became clear that many of us are afraid of pressure and can not oppose to the construction project of a new tailing dumps and increase in ore mining. "

The village is in dirt poor. So far the company has not implemented any social program in the village. While the villagers make income not from the mine, but from high-mountain meadows, black-earth soil which give magnificent opportunities for the development of agriculture. All this is under the hazard of complete destruction, which will turn into a huge loss for Armenia, and a direct way to migration for the villagers.

The operation of Global Gold resulted in the drastic reduction of crop productivity of agricultural land areas of Meliq village, restriction of pastures and decrease of incomes. Poverty is getting deeper and deeper. The Armenian peasant will not be able to deal with his / her main activities when losing water and land areas and has to be hired for a low-paid work in mines.

Mr. Krikorian,

The disasters caused by you are presented as investments into creating working places and charity. For comparison we would say that in 2009 your monthly salary was US $ 18,500, while US 0 designed as salaries for workers were paid with great delay after legal proceedings. And all this refers only to one mine, and what will happen, if the corporation reaches Hanqavan, Marjan and Getik, where there uranium and thorium. The Armenian Assembly of America, the member of which you are, deserves the honor and trust of the Armenian people. Nevertheless, all this is undermined by the activities of Global Gold. Receiving the Powers of the Administration of the National Institute of Armenia, you will have your contribution into the Implementation of the Armenian Genocide. We, the undersigned, to immediately Demand Demand to Stop the Operation of the Company in Armenia, Unless Caused damage to the meliq Village and Armenia is DeTeRmInEd and Consequences studies and are compensated, "says the Letter.

About this Blog:  Between 2009 and 2012 I was an active investor in the mineral exploration sector in the Republic of Armenia.  Our main project in Armenia was the MARJAN polymetallic gold and silver project located in near Sissian.  My JV partner, Mr. Van Z. Krikorian, President of Global Gold Corp (otcqb: GBGD) and Trustee of the Armenian Assembly of America, used corrupt means including using his influence with the US EMBASSY in YEREVAN to secure an indictment against me for theft of the JV and to corrupt the Armenia judicial system to give him a favourable ruling.

Mr. Van Z. Krikorian is the President, CEO and Legal Counsel of Global Gold Corp. (otcqb:GBGD), a penny stock listed on the OTC  markets. His public filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission  fail to fully disclose the reality on the ground in Armenia in the promotion and development of GBGD's gold project, the TOUKHMANUK GOLD MINE.

This blog is an effort to bring transparency of the activities of Global God Corp. (otcqb: GBGD) and Mr. Van Z. Krikorian in Armenia.

GBGD Blocking Participation of Public at Toukhmanuk Tailings Damn Hearing

On April 19, 2013 a public hearing was held at the Ministry of Nature Protection office in Yerevan, Armenia. The hearing was organized to review Global Gold Corporation's ("GBGD") application for a 3rd tailings damn at the Toukhmanuk Gold project in Armenia.

Some local residents and environmental NGOs are are demanding that the mine be shut down and are against the issuance for a permit to build a third tailings damn, claiming the local environment and farming land has been contaminated by GBGD's operations.

According to participants in the meeting and comments posted on various blogs and Facebook by participants, GBGD stacked the hearing room at the Ministry of Nature Protection with "mercenaries" to block the participation of independent environmental NGO's to present their case.

GBGD's tactics succeeded in as much that no decision was taken and a new hearing has been called in 20 days.

I guess by then a new Minister of Nature Protection may be appointed, as the new government of President Serzh Sargsyan forms his new cabinet, following his victorious election on February 18, 2013.

I have a posted a few items here below.

At the open site meliq VILLAGE Group on FACEBOOK and GLOBAL GOLD ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/335167233253849/ ) local Armenian citizens and NGOs are organizing to Stop, What they consider to be the abuse of Global Gold

Silva Adamyan States:

WE CONDEMN
Global Gold Company's obscene immoral behavior and arguments were manifested in the fact that on April 19 at the hearings held in the Ministry of Nature Protection they brought mercenaries insidiously to fill the professional speech and to hurt the experts with the purpose to implement their regular criminal project .
Over the years this company's activity is characterized in Armenia by the irreparable losses caused to the nature and people.
We require from the RA Government to stop this anti-Armenian activity and to investigate and evaluate the company's activities.

At

 

 a public letter has been written to the US Ambassador to Armenia, John Heffern.

Dear Mr. Ambassador,

We have got acquainted with the State Department report on human rights situation in Armenia. Noting the great work done by the State Department we would like to mention with regret that the issue of human rights to live in healthy and comfortable environment was ignored in the report. Over the years this issue has been one of the priorities on the agenda of civil society, as well as the concern source repeatedly voiced by the international organizations.

The emerging civil society efforts to improve the situation of human environmental rights in our country are not legally simple both in governmental units and within the frames of public from the perspective of raising human legal consciousness. However, the obstacles almost become for us insurmountable when we have to deal with unfair mine exploiting companies. The latter, possessing the huge financial means and the other jacks' impact, not only ruthlessly exploit the local population violating human rights and dignity, but also prevent the legitimate demands of the civil society representatives to have access to documents relating to the activities of these companies and to find ways of resolving the situation.

Unfortunately, it should be noted that Global Gold Company is one of the above-mentioned companies, which in addition to the above-described, shakes all over the world the American flag emphasizing of being protected by this powerful State. The above-mentioned company is apparently unconcerned about the fact, that by its activities it puts at stake the reputation of American people, best relative of the Armenian nation, and their State, as the people in Armenia are already well aware of the company's activities .

Mr. Ambassador, we'd like to ask you to direct your participation in this problem and, if possible, we offer to arrange a meeting with you for more details. We are also ready to organize your visits to Melikgyugh and Arevis communities where mining activity is carried out by the company.

We believe, Mr. Ambassador, that being a representative of a State, associated with democratic values ​​and human rights protection, you will not remain indifferent towards illegitimacy and injustice, which is carried out under the American flag.

Best regards
Environmental Public Alliance Coordinator
Silva Adamyan
Head of Eco rights NGO Arthur Grigoryan 


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Published on March 24 on Yerkir.am, 2013   (http://www.yerkir.am/en/news/47197.htm) Title: When the ice melted the in the village Melik

The conflict between the «Mego Gold» subsidiary company of American «Global Gold» company has a history of many years. The mine owner does his work and extracts the gold and Meliq village residents take it all default, when their rights have been violated for years. Some of the residents of that community had a work in the mine and they did not raise voice for monthly 60-80 thousand AMD trying to solve the problem of their daily bread. Though in those days the «cases» of «Global Gold» company hosting Meliq village are gradually heating up and face out of the water with the spring thawing Meliq villagers are going to do sowing, but in the fall they will be no better than before , and this as a result of «investments» by the company more than 10 years ago. As a result of our visits to Meliq village and various interviews, it turned out that the American company has not made any investments, but owned the «Tukhmanuk» Gold mine and abused under the pretense of creating jobs. As a result the people's rights in the Meliq village have been and are being violated and the company's management pursuing its unprecedented cynicism created an atmosphere of fear in the affected community.

During our meetings the villagers were ready to talk but without cameras and to claw the mask of the company with their discoveries. But this is not just the job of one or a few media, but also the job of the State and the appropriate services immediately to take steps and to clarify the situation. «Tukhmanuk» gold mine exploited by «Mego Gold» and the mine tailing dam which is in a bad condition are located on the slope on the 9-point seismic activity zone. Note that Spitak earthquake was felt in that area, where the union construction teams built separate district for the families who lost their homes in the disaster in 1988. «It is unacceptable to build another tailing dump in the same area, when the previous tailing was built on the land that was once part of our haying », said the one of the Meliq villagers. Note that Meliq villagers are mainly engaged in fruit growing, vegetable, fodder and grain processing, field-crop cultivation, as well as large and small cattle breeding and aviculture.

According to the specialists' opinion even any man-made or chemical affect will have its direct impact on the agriculture, human health and welfare and social conditions, as the main guarantee of the community social conditions is the agriculture and the provision of those regular works . No one can deny the fact that the soil fertility fell in the village, fields and pastures are in poor conditions, and vegetable crops turn yellow and dry out immediately. «Once the mine is being exploded, it seems that we are in a battle-field and as a result all the dust is coming upon us», said the villagers and insisted that the dust up warding through the winds from the mine and the tailing dam constantly sits on the land, is being mixed in the drinking and irrigation waters and the atmosphere thus threatening their health. «Have a walk in the village and see what's happening. Almost all have urinary problems (urinary stone disease) and all those are connected with the drinking water », insisted the villagers.

Galust Nanyan Village Meliq - Yerevan

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Published on March 16 on Yerkir.am, 2013   (http://www.yerkir.am/en/news/46612.htm)  
Melik Village: Abandoned and forgotten

On those days it is much spoken about the 7 years' destructive activities implemented in Melq village by the «Mego Gold» subsidiary company of American «Global Gold» company. Meliq village residents have expressed their concerns over several years that the company is only interested in its profits, and they have beenignored both by the government and the «Tukhmanuk» gold mine company officials. Soft pillow policy advocates argue in their documents and in their office in Yerevan, that they do ideal work, but Meliq villagers and environmentalists prove that the situation is alarming and the mine operating company works with the methodology of the 19 century pitmen. In other words, by exploding here and there they do harm not only to the environment, but also atmospheric and water basins, as well as land resources, agricultural lands and natural pastures. The American mine industrialists have already made great efforts for the Government top allow them to build a new and the third tailing dam with about 7 hectares, which is two times more than the 1st and the 2nd tailings altogether. According to the project the proposed tailings dam will be surrounded to the four sides by a ground wall. It turns out that the new tailings dam will be built in the place of the seismic zone of 9 magnitudes. Experts express concern on the fact that all the ecosystem of Meliq village will be shattered in case of accidents in the tailing dam with a ground wall. Two of the tailings have already been filled and are not subject to cultivation and to the villagers' opinions «Mego Gold» company is going to bring them into cultivation after having extorted the appropriate metal materials from the tailings. And with what kind of equipment and methods, the company responsible is still silent? But it is clear that the American company is interested only in gold, but not the other element accumulated in the tailing dams. The villagers told us that the ore dressing is being done a few hundred meters away from Meliq village, where on the oblique area the soil embankment tailing dam is located, which is in a very poor condition. As the agriculture is the main economy in the village, it can only be predicted that years later the village will appear under the threat of displacement, as the villager will not be able to grow food or agricultural crops in the area, where the mine has been exploited and the remains of the same mine have been accumulated. Who is responsible for the damages caused to the Meliq village residents?

No one gives an answer to this question. The village municipality insists that everything must be done in order «Mego Gold» company reduces to the minimum the damages caused to the environment and the public health. In its turn, «Mego gold» carries out an «ostrich» policy by saying that everything is «OK».

Galust Nanyan Village Meliq-Yerevan




About this Blog:  Between 2009 and 2012 I was an active investor in the mineral exploration sector in the Republic of Armenia.  Our main project in Armenia was the MARJAN polymetallic gold and silver project located in near Sissian.  My JV partner, Mr. Van Z. Krikorian, President of Global Gold Corp (otcqb: GBGD) and Trustee of the Armenian Assembly of America, used corrupt means including using his influence with the US EMBASSY in YEREVAN to secure an indictment against me for theft of the JV and to corrupt the Armenia judicial system to give him a favourable ruling.

Mr. Van Z. Krikorian is the President, CEO and Legal Counsel of Global Gold Corp. (otcqb:GBGD), a penny stock listed on the OTC  markets. His public filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission  fail to fully disclose the reality on the ground in Armenia in the promotion and development of GBGD's gold project, the TOUKHMANUK GOLD MINE.

This blog is an effort to bring transparency of the activities of Global God Corp. (otcqb: GBGD) and Mr. Van Z. Krikorian in Armenia.