Protesters say they want the gold mining project to start so they would have jobs and decent lives. They are also opposed to the Fan Fest festival, organized by NGOs calling for alternative solutions for the economy of the area.
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
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.
Prime Minister Emil Boc said early August the Government is waiting for expert opinions concerning the impact of the Rosia Montana gold mining project on the environment before making a decision regarding the investment.
Boc added he is not a “fan” of the project and the current contract should be reconsidered, as it is not the most advantageous for the Romanian state.
Culture Minister Kelemen Hunor told MEDIAFAX in an interview last month Romania can halt the gold mining project at Rosia Montana anytime unless the joint venture developing it, Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, invests $70 million in preservation works in the area.
Kelemen said it is his priority as minister to save the country’s archeological heritage which, however, is rapidly degrading and would be irretrievably lost in a few years unless investments are made right away.
The gold mining project has recently received a key permit allowing works to continue in the area, a move that was met with ample protest from environmental activists and NGOs who called for the minister’s resignation.