The local culture department issued the certificate based on a July 12 decision of the National Archaeology Commission, the Culture Ministry said in a press release
“This is the first necessary step in the process to ensure the preservation of the archaeological and architectonical heritage in Rosia Montana,” according to the release.
The release adds Culture Minister Kelemen Hunor has initiated a plan of action to ensure the preservation of the most important archaeological sites and monuments in the region, including historical mining galleries.
The plan entails the allocation of $70 million by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), a joint venture consisting of Canada’s Gabriel Resources and the Romanian state, to be spent in Rosia Montana for preservation works. The plan also includes the setting up of a commission of independent experts that may stop the company’s mining project at any time if significant discoveries are made.
RMGC 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.