Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – The opening of new quarries in Bar is a plan opposed by the local administration, said Asim Andric, head of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) caucus in the Bar City Council, adding that such projects would have harmful consequences for people's health and lives.

“As we have learned in recent days about the Ministry of Energy and Mining’s intention to amend this year’s Annual Concessions Plan for Detailed Geological Exploration and Mineral Resource Exploitation and, under the banner of investment, added value creation and job opportunities, attempt to designate a new quarry in the Mrkojevici area, namely Gorana, I would like to publicly inform them that they will face strong institutional and civic resistance and that this idea will not be implemented in the way some have envisioned – through the back door,” Andric said.

He stated that it is well known that the residents of Velja Gorana have been engaged in an institutional struggle for many years to prevent the opening of a new quarry at the Velja Gorana site, which would lead to environmental degradation, threaten the natural environment and, most importantly, have harmful effects on people’s health and lives.

“For the sake of informing the public, the location that the Ministry plans to grant under concession, known as Bederla, is situated in the immediate vicinity of, or on the same site as, the concession area that local residents have opposed for years,” Andric said.