The Municipal Council of the community of Yelpin (Vayots Dzor) has voted to prohibit the village mayor from signing any agreement with the “ARGAMIK” corporation allowing it to conduct geological surveys on municipal lands. The Council’s August 28th decision was read aloud at a village meeting attended by the corporation’s management, representatives of the Vayots Dzor Regional Administration, local residents and a working delegation from the environmental group Ecolur. Local residents started to complain about one month ago that heavy equipment had entered their lands. “ARGAMIK” officials then presented a copy of an agreement signed by Armen Movsisyan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, dated September 5, 2008, allowing for such exploratory work looking for copper and molybdenum deposits. Most of the residents at the public meeting voiced opposition to the exploratory work and were convinced it would lead to the demise of their community. They were also concerned that new drilling would expose uranium deposits that had previously been unearthed. There is the additional threat to the community’s water supply. Geologists working in the area back in the 1960’s and 1970’s had told residents to stop using water from a local spring since it had been “tainted” and was considered dangerous for consumption. If current exploratory work goes ahead as planned, the only source of water now used by the community will be closed to residents. Environmental activists also point out that heavy mining equipment has been brought into an area replete with historical monuments (stone crosses and cemeteries) and is an area where flora and fauna registered in Armenia’s Red Book of Endangered Species are to be found. The Council is preparing to send a request to the Armenian government to have the area registered as a site with a special preservation status. The Council also points out in its decision that “ARGAMIK” is legally bound to obtain the written approval of any land owner before mining operations can begin. Babken Mkrtchyan, who heads the Vayots Dzor Department of Agriculture and Environment, has traveled to Yelpin, at the request of Ecolur, to review the matter. He has stated that the demands of the community have a sound legal basis.