The local authorities have held a public debate on the Certej project, as well as consultations with Serbia and Hungary, as per EU rules. The Regional Environment Protection Agency (ARPM) in Timisoara will analyze the project and is expected to issue the environment certificate by the end of the year.
More procedures will follow before the developer receives authorization to carry out the project, Borbely pointed out.
According to the minister, the developers of the Certej and Rosia Montana mining projects will be required to employ advanced technology that significantly reduces cyanide concentration.
The use of cyanide in mining has been persistently criticized by non-governmental organizations and was the subject of a European Parliament resolution. Borbely gave assurances that the technology, as used in Sweden, reduces cyanide concentration in the mining residue to 3 ppm, rendering it non pollutant by the time it reaches the tailing pond.
The Certej project is to be developed by Deva Gold SA, whose majority shareholder (80%) is Deva Gold (Barbados) Ltd, a subsidiary of Canadian firm European Goldfields.
In June 2010, European Goldfields announced it had signed a mandate letters with five banks for a $135 million loan to part fund the Certej mining project. According to estimates at the time, the project required a $190 million investment and the deposit was estimated to contain 2.4 million ounces of gold and 17.3 million ounces of silver.