60 international activists occupy Gold Corporation headquarters in Rosia Montana

A preview of the action on the 28th of september

Local and international people are opposing plans to open Europe's largest open cast gold mine, which would displace hundreds of families and result in widespread ecological destruction and cyanide contamination of the protected landscape. The peaceful occupation and blockade lasted for two hours and the company decided to leave the public information point closed for the rest of the day.

The proposed mine would destroy the village of Rosia Montana and introduce dangerous cyanide leaching technology, threatening water systems in Romania and beyond with the potential of devastating accidents. Strong local opposition to the gold mining project emerged almost immediately in the year 2000 when the project was announced by Canadian company Gabriel Resources. Resistance to the plan has since spread across Romania and beyond. During the last 10 years, Alburnus Maior, through the Save Rosia Montana Campaign has successfully mobilized thousands of people and has so far kept the plans from being carried out.

The Environmental Impact Assessment procedure for the mining project was suspended in 2008 by the Ministry of the Environment, due to the discovery of illegalities committed by the company. Furthermore, civil society has won several court cases against the Gold Corporation, where it was proved that the mining project was initiated in illegal conditions and involved high levels of corruption, coercion and abuse of the local population.

According to the law, the mining project has to restart from point zero, but the new Romanian Environment Minister wants to proceed with a political decision in favour of the mining project, in a clear violation of the court decisions, as well as of Romanian and EU laws on Environmental Impact Assessment procedures.

The Romanian government seems keen to support corporate interests in the face of local opposition. A new law on expropriation has been recently proposed in the Romanian parliament and is expected to be voted on during the next month. The law would enable private companies, instead of the Romanian state and judicial system, to carry out forced expropriation of residents, in a clear violation of human rights.

In dialogue with the occupying activists, the company spokesperson, Catalin Hosu, rejected any relation between the Gold Corporation and this law and stated that they would not resort to using it if it is passed. In reply, the activists promised to target the corporation with further actions if the promise is not kept.

At the EU level, the European Commission has been refusing to follow up on a May 2010 European Parliament resolution requiring it to make a legislative proposal to ban the use of cyanide in mining. While the Gold Corporation has expressed the intention to adopt cyanide reduction technology in Rosia Montana, recent news exposed that the use of such technology will be much more expensive than originally planned [4]. In response to this, Catalin Hosu replied that the Gold Corporation is committed to respect all Romanian and EU legislation, but did not state whether this technology will be adopted or dropped in face of the costs.

Video: Ionut Ruscea

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• rosia
• montana
• activism
• gold
• mine
• direct
• action
• reclaim
• the
• fields

[TheMetalKnightM]

@CalinFR Devine comic? sau dureros? pentru mine e dureros sa vad cum uni incearca sa schimbe ceva pentru alti care stau in confortul caselor lor si isi dau doar cu parerea, pro sau contra...

[bumkumcsa]

That is very nice :) Thank you, guys!!!

[jumpyutz]

FUCK TRAIAN BASESCU! THE ONLY PRESIDENT IN UE SOLD TO A CORPORATION !

[BESTBACAU]

when is the NEXT .. EPISODE .. use my username .. WE WILL BRING 100 FIGHTERS.. NOT JUST SIMPLY PEOPLE !!! UNITED WE STAND .. DIVIDED WE FALL !!!

[TheMetalKnightM]

@CalinFR exact, alti printre care si eu si tu... de aceea am zis ca e dureros... dar sa iti asumi responsabilitatea nu e destul... daca nu facem ce pentru a ne "drege" greselile, degeaba ne asumam responsabilitatea...

[lovedacia1]

CYANIDE -KILLS =MEANS DEATH TO ANIMALS,NATURE,BIRDS..DISEASES .FOR OUR PEOPLE...THINK AGAIN..... CIANURA = OMOARA

[lovedacia1]

BRAVO-BRAVO  SI IAR BRAVO.....TKSS ALOT FOR SAVING ROSIA MONTANA////

[CalinFR]

@TheMetalKnightM altii, printre care si eu, si tu! hai sa ne asumam responsabilitatea pentru ceea ce ne facem noua insine

[aciduzzo]

bravo! good music too:)