The Movement for Cultural Heritage (Sakdrisi Committee), an activist union, responded this week to the ongoing processes in the village Mushevani of Georgia‘s Kvemo Kartli Region, Bolnisi Municipality. These processes have been occurring episodically for the past several months. The Sakdrisi Committee, based on the high level of interest from the public, confirmed that they have been actively involved in the battle against environmental violations by the mining company RMG since more than eight years.
The activists union claims not a single environmental offense by the RMG will go unanswered.
“Since December 20, we’ve been monitoring the preparation process of RMG Cooper’s new project, ‘Mushevani 2 (gold-copper mining). The Sakdrisi Committee protested the lack of information provided to the community during scoping in January 2022. The entire village then joined the protest.
“We asked the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture to respond appropriately. The Ministry, judging the demands of the activists as fair, recommended that the company communicate more about the project with both the local population and other groups interested in it.
“In July 2022 members of the Movement for Cultural Heritage Committee (Sakdrisi Committee), attended the review of environmental impact assessment document (EIA), of Mushevani 2
“It was important to understand the local residents’ position, so we asked them repeatedly at the meeting attended by 200 residents to openly express their opinion on the project.
“We have some questions and requests to the company. These include issues such as cultural heritage sites, soil and water research and deforestation. We are still active in our demands. The locals stated at the end of the discussion that they would support mining operations for vital social projects.
“On the initiative by the residents, a discussion was held with members of the Movement for Cultural Heritage Committee (Sakdrisi Committee), and it became clear that they were opposed to the Mushevani 2 Project. However, only one member of the committee noted this during the conversation.
“The Movement for Cultural Heritage Committee (Sakdrisi Committee), calls on the relevant services, to fully protect the right of freedom of expression for the part of the community that opposes open mining of mineral near the village.
“Also it has called on RMG, publicly and again, to provide additional clarifications about the project that causes such concern amongst the population. The Movement for Cultural Heritage’s (Sakdrisi Committee), which closely monitors the ongoing processes surrounding Mushevani 2, wants to assure the public of the fact that no environmental violation committed by RMG will go unanswered.
On September 13, a part of Mushevani’s population planned to gather and distribute a petition against RMG Gold open-pit mining minerals in the village’s vicinity. However, the demonstrators were met by other villagers, who told them they would not allow them to hold the rally. Marneuli Radio reported the opposition to the rally claimed that RMG had agreed to provide water and gas to the village and repair the school. They stressed that they were not against RMG.
The protesters collected signatures to send a petition to the parliament, prime minister, and president. According to the petition RMG GOLD, RMG Copper and the state have granted them a mineral exploration and mining license in Bolnisi & Dmanisi municipalities up until 2042.
By Ana Dumbadze
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