The press service of the Ministry reports that the matter concerns Mega Gold's project on construction of the third tailing dump of Tukhmanuk deposit; Gegamet Plus's project on development of the magnesium- silicate and chromite mine in Shorzha; as well as the project on development of the andesite and basalt pit in Voghjaberd. In addition, the Ministry turned down the design documents on gold mining in Meghradzor to Meghradzor Gold.

Representative of the World Health Organization Elizabet Paunovic said that as many as 1,300,000 people die annually of cancer caused by environmental impacts. Such impacts are high for employees of mining companies and people living near active deposits. She said that the risks coming from ore mining activities are especially high in countries with a low or medium income level. International experts forecast that in 2030 the cancer rate will be twice as high as it is now, so, top priority must be given to environment protection.

The expert hearings on building of the third tailing dump of the Tukhmanuk deposit located in Aragatsotn region were held today. As press-service of Armenia's Nature Protection Ministry reported, according to the results of the hearings Minister Aram Harutyunyan charged to submit in a written form all the suggestions and viewpoints in a week, and the relevant conclusion will be made.

Byurakan village residents are against construction of a hydro power plant at Amberd river in the Orgov gorge of Aragatsotn region of Armenia. About 150 residents of the village came to the construction site today to express their protest.

Small hydropower plants damage Armenia's ecosystems, Bardukh Gabrielyan, Director of the Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, told ArmInfo.

As Armenia's Rescue Service reported, as a result of the first fire that happened in the wood near Chkalovka village, the territory 3 thsd sq/m burned out. In several hours after the first incident, fire happened near the villages Lichq and Tsakkar and a territory 1,5 ha burned out.

The residents of the village of Marts, Lori region, are protesting against the plans to build a third water power plant on Marts River.

The Khosrov Forest state reserve of Armenia will be granted European Diploma of Protected Areas, the Nature Protection Ministry of Armenia told ArmInfo. The country submitted a relevant application to the Bern Convention Secretariat yet in November 2011.

Vallex Group has confirmed the industrial accident at the Alaverdi copper smeltery. The company told ArmInfo that the industrial accident occurred at the plant on March 31 2013. In particular, the chimney of the copper smeltery collapsed.

Yerevan lags practically behind all the CIS countries by the number of green territories, the head of Armenian Architects' Union, Mkrtich Minasyan, said at today's press-conference.

Experts still think that the level of natural reproduction of trout (ishkhan) in Lake Sevan is still unsatisfactory.

The illegal constructions at the coastal area of Sevan will be demounted irrespective of who they belong to, the head of the Commission for Key Problems of Sevan, Vladimir Movsisyan, promised at today's press-conference.

The big volume water releases from Sevan in 2012 have become the reason of the negative regime of the lake, the head of the Commission for Sevan Problems, Vladimir Movsisyan, said at today's press-conference.

In order to develop Yerevan, we must first of all solve its environmental problems, former Mayor of Yerevan, member of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) Vahagn Khachatryan told journalists on Tuesday.

As director of the Scientific Centre for Zoology and Hydroecology under Armenia's National Academy of Science, Barkhudar Gabrielyan, told Arminfo correspondent, the total fish store in Sevan amounted to 100-105 tons in 2012, 96.7 tons of which are crucian carp and 6-6.5 tons - whitefish.