Rosia Montana Cultural Foundation To Contest Archeological Discharge Certificate In Court

Foundation head Ioan Piso told a news conference Friday the Culture Ministry issued a similar archeological discharge certificate in 2004, which was canceled in court through a final ruling of the High Court of Justice.

"The archeological discharge certificate for the Carnic mountain, issued by the Culture Ministry in January 2004, was canceled by the Alba Iulia Court of Appeals and then definitively and irrevocably by the High Court of Justice. Issuing a new certificate for the same area and with no additional research, with no changes in the situation, is illegal," Piso said, adding the organization will contest the certificate.

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

The ministry said the certificate is a step in ensuring the preservation of vestiges and archeological sites in the area.

Culture Minister Kelemen Hunor said Thursday 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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