Outgoing environment minister Korodi Attila has recently said the legal advisers tasked with analyzing the potential suspension or continuation of the evaluation procedures on the Rosia Montana mining project said the lack of a valid zoning plan hinders the evaluation of the project and recommended the Technical Analysis Committee should ask the investor to provide a new urbanism plan based on a valid zoning plan. Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) said the law requires any analysis on the project’s environmental impact be completed immediately.
The ministry has recently ordered a legal audit to decide whether to halt the analysis on the Rosia Montana mining project, following a ruling of the Alba Iulia Court of Appeals whereby the urbanism plans and other related documents were declared null.
Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), a joint venture consisting of Gabriel Resources and the Romanian state, is developing the mining project at Rosia Montana, in the Apuseni Mountains, with projected costs reaching more than $1 billion.
Gabriel Resources owns 80.46% of RMGC, while the Romanian state 19.31%, through Minvest Deva, and other shareholders control the rest.
The project is backed by President Traian Basescu, while many environmental NGOs have been protesting the project, which involves cyanide mining.
Billionaires John Paulson, Beny Steinmetz and Thomas Kaplan are some of the significant names behind Gabriel Resources.