Dozens Protest Rosia Montana Gold Mining Project As Romanian Culture Ministry Issues Key Permit

The protest was organized by a number of NGOs through the campaign "Save Rosia Montana." The demonstrators flew banners reading "Hunor Kelemen - Minister of Cyanide," "Ministry of Cyanide and Destruction of National Heritage," "Government Coalition PDL+UDMR+RMGC equals LOVE," "Government paid by death" and "You take the cyanide, we want nature and culture," and waved a Romanian flag.

The protesters also held out photographs of minister Kelemen, with golden frames, and called for his resignation.

Among the participants were journalist Mircea Toma, former presidential candidate Remus Cernea and Serban Sturdza of the Pro Patrimoniu foundation.

Toma said that the minister's decision to approve the archaeological discharge certificate was made based on the unanimous support of the ministry's Committee for Archaeology. On the other hand, he pointed out the minister could talk to the Committee for Historical Monuments, which last month recommended promoting the Rosia Montana region for inclusion in the UNESCO heritage.

Sturdza said that, despite Rosia Montana Gold Corporation's promise to fund the rehabilitation of the heritage in the area, there is a complete lack of transparency regarding the mining project, and anyway this "trade" is "unfair and unjustified."

The county department for culture in Alba, western Romania, issued last week an archeological discharge certificate for part of the Carnic mountain, one of a series of key permits that would allow the continuation of the controversial gold mining project.

The Culture Ministry said the certificate is a step in ensuring the preservation of vestiges and archeological sites in the area. Minister Kelemen said the certificate was issued at the end of a legal procedure but declined to give any further details.

Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), a joint venture consisting of Canada's Gabriel Resources and the Romanian state, is developing the mining project at Rosia Montana, in the western Romanian Apuseni Mountains, with projected costs reaching more than $1 billion, through which the company expects to extract 626,000 ounces of gold per year for five years since the launch of the mine. An ounce of gold weighs 31.1 grams.

Gabriel Resources owns 80.46% of RMGC, while the Romanian state (19.31%) and other shareholders (0.23%) control the rest.

Romanian environmental NGOs have been protesting the project, which involves cyanide mining, since it was put on the table in the 1990s and have proposed to promote tourism and agriculture in the otherwise poor area.

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