Rick Howes, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dundee Precious Metals, the parent company of Deno Gold Mining, is reported to have returned to Kapan, Armenia. EcoLur, an environmental NGO in Armenia, says that Howes has brought a mining specialist with him to oversee the operation of an open-pit mine at Shahumyan. Yesterday, Howes met with officials at the Syunik Regional Administration. Back in 2011, Howes, responding to the concerns raised by area residents regarding a potential open-pit mine, said that the company would organize public hearings before launching such plans.