Protests and Debates over Rosia Montana
After being on stand-by for 15 years, the Rosia Montana gold mining project is still awaiting a solution.
România Internațional, 07.10.2013, 13:20
Thousands of Romanians oppose the cyanide-based mining plans in Rosia Montana, and for the sixth running week they took to the streets in Bucharest to express their stand. Similar protests were held in other cities in Romania and abroad. People want the controversial bill that regulates the mining operation scrapped, the contract with the Canadian company cancelled, and cyanide-based mining prohibited across Romania. Another proposal they made is to have the Rosia Montana area included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
On the other hand, the supporters of the project, mostly locals, argue that this would create new jobs and solve the social and economic problems in the area. The special parliamentary commission set up to deal with the issue has no easy task. This is the third and last week that the commission has for hearings and to review the matter, and at the end of this week it should come up with a report.
The political class and civil society remain divided over the bill. The Liberal Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in opposition, announced they would vote against the government’s bill. Surprisingly enough, the Liberals also announced they would veto the bill, although they are members of the ruling coalition. Finally, the Social Democrats in power have split opinions on the matter.
Over the past two weeks the commission heard several cabinet members, who argued that after the terms of the contract with the Canadian company have been renegotiated, the Romanian state has a much better deal both in terms of its royalties and shareholding, and in terms of environment protection. According to the delegate minister for budget, Liviu Voinea, the royalties payable to the Romanian state alone would range between 400 and 600 million US dollars, depending on the international gold price. The representatives of the Canadian company assured the commission that the advantages for Romania clearly overrun the disadvantages. They claim the cyanide mining process will not harm the environment and people’s health, and it complies with the European legislation. Moreover, they argue, the operation would bring 5.2 billion US dollars into the Romanian economy.
Conversely, the opponents of the project warn that the economic benefits are too small compared to the damages caused to the environment, which in their opinion are irreversible. In addition to a sizeable mountain area, the works would also destroy the valuable Roman galleries in Rosia Montana.
Heard last week by the parliamentary committee that monitors the activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service, the chief of the Service, George Maior said Rosia Montana was a national security issue, but that he was in no position to offer an opinion on the project.
