Hearing on mining disaster postponed

A hearing on claims made by residents of Gurvanbulag sum in Bayankhongor aimag and the United Movement of Mongolian Rivers and Lakes (UMMRL) started in Sukhbaatar District Court on Tuesday February 26th but postponed until April.

Victims of mining disaster, residents of Gurvanbulag sum in Bayankhongor aimag are suing against Chinese owned gold mining company that apparently caused disaster in the area. According to local residents` claims the Chinese mining company caused the only river dry up, soil pollution and also caused over gazing pastures in Gurvanbulag sum with their gold mining operations.

Chinese owned mining company still carries out mining operations in the area, violating a law to prohibit mineral explorations at headwaters of rivers, protected zones of water reservoirs and forested areas.

But head of the United Movement of Mongolian Rivers and Lakes (UMMRL), Ts.Munkhbayar stated that legislatives gave a conclusion that the company did not violate the law meaning residents lost the claims.