The Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body of the Republic of Armenia has suspended the operations of an asphalt-concrete production facility located in the zone of direct influence of Lake Sevan, after an inspection uncovered a number of serious violations related to atmospheric emissions.
How the inspection unfolded
According to the inspection body, the inspection was carried out on the basis of an investigative article published on the Hetq website on August 28, 2026, which described the operations of an asphalt plant run by "Tsovagyugh ChSHSh" LLC on the premises of "Sani Lend" LLC. Over the course of the inspection, which lasted from September 4 to 18, actual emission measurements were taken both from the facility's emission source and from the raw-material stockpile area.
What was found
The measurements showed that:
- The amount of carbon monoxide exceeded the quantities permitted under the company's authorization for releasing pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary sources.
- High concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) were detected, the emission of which is not provided for at all in the company's maximum permissible emissions permit — in other words, it was not authorized in any amount.
A particularly significant factor is the plant's location: it sits just 1,560 meters from Lake Sevan, within the lake's zone of direct influence. Under Article 10, Part 2, Point "a" of the RA Law "On Lake Sevan," it is precisely in this zone that environmentally harmful emissions exceeding the norms established by law are categorically prohibited.
Measures taken
Pursuant to Article 29.1, Part 1, Point 9 of the RA Law "On Environmental Oversight," the head of the Gegharkunik Territorial Department of the Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body of the Republic of Armenia issued a decision on October 2 to suspend the asphalt-concrete facility's operations. The company's director has been held administratively liable, and to ensure enforcement of the suspension, the decision has been sent to the Compulsory Enforcement Service of the RA Ministry of Justice.
This decision comes after the Ministry of Environment, on September 18, issued a negative conclusion on the same company's project to establish cement, gypsum, and mineral dust production on the site. The official suspension of the asphalt plant's operations marks the second intervention against production activities on the same territory, once again confirming that oversight of industrial activity in Lake Sevan's zone of direct influence has become a key issue for state bodies.
Source:
https://www.ecoinspect.am/hy/post/more/1332