OSCE Office in Yerevan

Recycling of toxic rocket fuel (mélange)

One of the legacies that Armenia inherited from the Soviet period was the presence of several hundred tons of highly toxic and volatile rocket fuel component, known as mélange. After several years, the containers storing this dangerous substance began to erode, posing a serious threat to the environment and the safety of nearby residents.

To help defuse this crisis, the OSCE Office in Yerevan responded positively to a request by the Armenian government for assistance in eliminating the stocks of this dangerous fuel. In 2006, the Armenian Minister of Defence Serge Sargsyan and the OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut officially opened a special mélange processing and conversion plant, located on a military base near the northern Armenian village of Kaltakhchi.

The fuel stocks were transferred by underground pipes from their damaged containers into new recycling units, capable of converting and neutralizing the toxic fuel into fertilizer. The conversion process was conducted using an environmentally-friendly scheme, whereby the mélange was first neutralized and then transformed into light liquid fertilizer.

Throughout the entire process, international and local experts closely monitored each step to ensure its sound implementation and to guarantee environmental safety.

As a result of the project, Armenia's entire stock of 872 tons of mélange has been successfully recycled into an environmentally safe fertilizer, which was then provided to local farmers at no cost.

Aarhus network

Following Armenia's ratification of the Aarhus Convention in 2002, the Office supported the opening of nine public environmental information centres (known as Aarhus Centres) throughout the country (see map). The centres follow a unique model of co-operation between the state, the public and the international community and serve as a forum to discuss environmental issues. This effort is part of a movement to promote the key principles of the Aarhus Convention, which calls for the protection of a person's right to access information, justice and to allow public participation in environmental matters.

A tri-lingual web-site (www.armaarhus.am), established jointly with the Ministry of Nature Protection, provides comprehensive information about the Convention, data on the environment, articles on ecology prepared by experts, as well as highlights of daily activities of all nine Aarhus Centres. The Office also provides guidance to the centres based on the Convention's principles.

South Caucasus river monitoring project

In 2007, the OSCE-NATO South Caucasus river monitoring project, which is aimed at assessing the quality and quantity of water in the Kura-Araks river basin, entered its fifth year. This cross-border initiative encourages capacity and confidence building, highlighting the influence that water resources have on regional security and stability. Close collaboration between researchers has allowed the application of unified methods of sampling and analysis, the collection of reliable data and the delivery of equipment and up-to-date facilities. Training sessions for young specialists have been organized and further co-operation is being planned.

Environment and Security Initiative

In 2006, at the request of the Karajan municipality in Syunik province, the Centre for Ecological-Noosphere Studies carried out a study supported by the Office to assess the ecological state of the city of Kajaran. The findings revealed major environmental problems associated with the mining industry. Concrete recommendations to remedy the situation were made and the local municipality has undertaken risk reduction measures.

Currently, at the request of the municipality of Kapan (also in Syunik province), the Office is supporting research to assess the impact of the ore industry and associated waste on the local environment. The results will be published in November 2007.