Along with rehabilitation of various industries, Armenia takes steps to reduce their adverse impact on environment and human health. For that purpose a series of national laws has been adopted and a number of international conventions ratified. In 1996 Armenia ratified UN ECC “Convention on Trans-boundary effects of Industrial Accidents” (1992, Helsinki), and Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans-boundary Context (Espoo, 1991). Besides, a number of legal documents and environmental conventions regulating issues related to public awareness-raising and public participation in decision making process have been adopted. The project was funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany and was aimed at implementation of the Helsinki Convention Provisions. The RA Ministry of Nature Protection was the project coordinator and JINJ Ltd. engineering-consulting company was responsible for the project implementation. The project duration was one year and was implemented at “Mego Gold” Ltd. under “Global Gold Mining” company (functioning in mining sector and mainly engaged in gold mines study and exploitation), considering the plant tailing pit as the main facility.

Under the project, training courses were carried out for the company staff, as well as for the active group of the affected zone community. Both the company specialists involved in the emergency staffing of the plant, and invited specialists (emergency management, environmental, public relations, local self-governance experts), conducted the courses. Meetings with the population of the affected community were organized and an information booklet was prepared and disseminated among them. The booklet contains information on the criteria characterizing emergencies and public actions during an emergency. The booklet represents a small guideline to explain what industrial emergencies are and what consequences they can have. The acquired theoretical knowledge was supplemented and strengthened through implementation of an open demonstrative training for the public.