ROSIA MONTANA: Drilling on RMGC’s last nerve

Rosia Montana, Romania; 16. April 2004 – As part of the procedures necessary for obtaining an environmental permit to commence 39 drillings in the Rosia Montana perimeter, Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) yesterday afternoon organized a public consultation at the local town hall. It was attended by roughly 100 people. Members of Alburnus Maior attending the debate wore red clown noses; drawing to the illegality inherent to this puppet consultation. Given this and given the technical irregularities inherent to this proposed project, Alburnus Maior is determined to contest the environmental permit; that is if granted.

RMGC which is 80% owned by Canadian-based Gabriel Resources (TSX:GBU) intends to realize Europe’s largest open cast gold mining project in Rosia Montana; entailing amongst other, the involuntary resettlement of over 2000 people. From its onset the development has been beleaguered with scandals and operational problems, including local, national and international opposition by both civil society and expert institutions.

Yesterday at 17.00 the interested public was invited to express their opinion on a report submitted by RMGC to the regional environmental protection authority (EPA) in order to obtain an environmental permit for 39 drilling points in the Rosia Montana perimeter. Roughly two weeks ago Alburnus Maior successfully contested the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure for this very project. According to the Ministerial Order 860/2002 and a recommendation by Romania’s Ministry for the Environment and Water Management, the entire EIA procedure should have been re-launched. However, yesterday’s public consultation was nothing else than the continuation of the procedure successfully contested by Alburnus Maior two weeks ago.

Fifty members of Alburnus Maior participated in yesterday’s puppet spectacle in order to highlight the opposition to RMGC’s project as well as the consequent illegality of the environmental permit; if granted by the EPA. Members of RMGC’s management team as well as the management and workers of RMGC’s drilling sub-contractor made up the rest of those attending.

The consultation commenced with a loud confrontation between those shouting for jobs and those wanting to protect their lands. Whilst Alburnus Maior had submitted a detailed and well-motivated contestation endorsed by 60 Alburnus Maior members at the EPA the previous day, Alburnus Maior yesterday continued to make technical comments related to the project. The debate terminated at 19.30.

“Whilst in the past various decisions concerning Rosia Montana’s fate were taken in absence of effective public participation, we decided to emphasize the presence of the opposition by wearing red noses. We carefully analyzed all procedural conditions as well as the report and duly submitted well-founded contestations. In the event that the law is applied, this means that no environmental permit will be granted for RMGC’s drilling project. This in return means no ‘successful drilling results’”; said Eugen David, President of Alburnus Maior.

According to the law, the EPA now will have to carefully analyze all comments, contestations and reply to each of them with well-grounded solutions. Thereafter, RMGC’s report will be studied in greater detail by a so-called Technical Committee which will then make recommendations. Once the final decision has been announced, the interested public can contest it for the subsequent ten days. Only once these contestations have again been analyzed can the EPA sign the final permit. Given the procedural irregularities already inherent, Alburnus Maior is anxiously waiting for the EPA’s final decision.

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For more information contact Eugen David on +40 (0) 740280309 or Alburnus Maior on +40 (0) 258 859328.