“Huge Step Towards Ecological Safety: New Proposal Aims to Regulate Urban Administration and Infrastructure Construction”
An official newspaper reports that a proposal has been made to establish norms for the management of urban administration and infrastructure construction. The aim is to define minimum standards for the operation, maintenance, and closure of industrial areas and factories, as well as address the negative effects they have on public health and the environment. The emphasis is on ensuring ecological safety and reducing risks to human health and the affected areas.
By decision number 464-L dated April 1, 2021, the “Program for the Development of the Disaster Management System and Disaster Safety for 2021-2023” has been approved. This program includes regulations for the operation and closure of industrial areas. Telecommunication advancements will generate numerical regional EMZ indicators corresponding to the territorial subdivisions of the Republic of Armenia. Waste disposal sites have already been constructed in Kotayk and Gegharkunik provinces with the assistance of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Decommissioning of power stations and remediation measures in communities affected by pollution are ongoing.
The system’s operation and the functioning of the industrial area are expected to be completed by 2024. Plans include the creation of a waste disposal site in Yerevan and closing the functioning industrial area there with the assistance of the bank. The program “Integration of the Management System for Solid Waste for 8 Marzes of the Republic of Armenia” will also be implemented to modernize solid waste management.
Considering the works implemented with the assistance of UNDP, it is necessary to regulate the construction of waste disposal sites in industrial areas, address the impact on affected areas in Yerevan, and establish monitoring requirements for hazardous substances. The proposal also includes measures such as removing hazardous companies from residential areas, reserving land in the industrial area, and monitoring sources of air pollution.
For more detailed information, please refer to today’s newspaper.
