CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS, ROMANIA:
Open-cast gold mine project at Rosia Montana endangers the whole central region of the Apuseni Mountains.
Written by
IAN CROOK INTRODUCTION
The mine will be in Romania, in a location where gold has been mined for
thousands of years. The gold that remains is no longer in lodes nor even
in isolated nuggets that might be detectable in some way. It is
extremely widely dispersed throughout the rock, in a proportion of
approximately one part of gold per million of dross.
In order to access the gold it will be necessary to create extensive
excavations, crush the extracted rock to expose a greater surface area
and then dissolve out the gold using cyanide compounds. The cyanide
solution will then be stored for reuse in a huge open lake in
contravention of environmental standards that apply in all developed
countries. This method saves the cost of neutralising the used cyanide
and replenishing the process with fresh compounds. Almost unbelievably,
an earth-dam one hundred and eighty metres high (the height of a sixty
storey building) will be constructed across a valley in order to create
the cyanide storage 'pond' which will have a surface area of 600
hectares (almost 1500 acres).
It seems that the experience of the cyanide spillage at Baia Mare in
northern Romania at the beginning of 2000 counts for nothing. On that
occasion 100000 tonnes of cyanide sludge overflowed into the river
system, annihilating life. The proposed lake will contain 250 million
tonnes of cyanide solution and the dam will be in a valley about six
miles above the town of Abrud which has a population of 13000.
There is no intention to line the lake since the ground is clay. It will
be impossible to prevent seepage into the earth and thence into the
water table.
At a temperature of 27C, the surface of the lake will start to evaporate
and the cyanide will become airborne. It will drift wherever the air
currents take it. There are reports from Baie Mare of birds falling dead
whilst flying over the cyanide lagoon.
Since the concentration of gold is so weak, a vast amount of material
will have to be processed in order to recoup the investment and make a
profit. The excavations will cover an area of 7.5 square kilometres on
the map, but this is very hilly terrain and the workings will form four
craters 360 metres deep - only after five peaks have been flattened.
In addition, there will be a processing plant of a size to handle the
required throughput, roadways and other infrastructure, and dumps of
processed mine-waste. Since such small volumes of gold are extracted,
that waste will be of a similar volume to the excavations.
The project can be construed in several ways.
One is as a means of making money - principally for foreign investors.
Another is as a provider of jobs for some local people.
Yet another is that it converts a large, deep, stable geological area
with an infinitesimal dispersion of gold, topped by a beautiful, hilly,
life supporting natural landscape, into a lifeless, toxic desert
consisting of large, deep, ugly excavations, man-made mountains of waste
impregnated with unstable heavy-metals - plus a large, dammed lake of
concentrated cyanide-in-water.
In fact all three visualisations are correct.
The Director of the regional archaeological museum observed in a
newspaper interview, "The Apuseni Mountains still represent an ecosystem
which is not very different from that which existed two or three
thousand years ago."
It is scarcely credible that a European country that avowedly wishes to
develop tourism and so to benefit from the treasures with which Nature
has endowed it, should countenance this destructive plan. It speaks
loudly for the power of money to overcome common-sense that a government
that wishes to enter the European Community with all that entails with
regard to sustainable development, should simultaneously entertain this
totally unsustainable scheme for mineral-environmental exploitation.
THE MINING COMPANY
Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) is a joint venture between the
Canadian company, Gabriel Resources and the Romanian state-owned
company, Minvest. The government stake is 20% of the shares. The
apportionment of shares reflects the fact that Gabriel promises to
deliver the requisite $400 million of foreign investment. Gabriel
Resources will take all the gold and silver and the Romanian government
will receive 2% of gross profits. The Canadian company has developed no
mines nor previously raised capital and appears to have been formed in
1997 specifically for this venture. The Chairman of Gabriel is a
Romanian by birth, Vasile (Frank) Timis. It is known that Gabriel
Resources hopes to be bought out by one of the industry 'majors' but
there are no signs of this happening.
RMGC promises that the mine will provide employment for 15000 people and
the Minister for Industry echoes the same line. Less partisan experts
suggest that the figure will be closer to 2000 during construction and,
later, perhaps only 500 employees. The total life of this mine will be
no more than a generation - it could be much less. Then there will be
nothing left - no gold, no scenery. Nothing of value will remain, the
damage will be irreparable.
BACKGROUND
Minvest already has an unprofitable mine in the Rosia Montana area and
is the main employer. It has ceded its licence to RMGC and so is now,
technically, operating illegally. RMGC could not have obtained a licence
by the correct procedure because it has not completed the necessary
studies - most importantly, it has not commissioned an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) as it is obliged to do. Also lacking are; a
detailed feasibility study, a development study, plans - and funds
deposited - for the restoration of the environment. Without the
completion of these procedures, a licence cannot be granted - according
to Romanian law.
THE LOCAL CONTEXT
Rosia Montana is the largest of a group of mining communities located in
the Apuseni mountains of west-central Romania, at 46 50N 23 00E and an
altitude of about 1000 metres.
PEOPLE
The residents of this area are known as the Motz, a proud, stubborn,
very hardy highland people. Mining has always been their principal
occupation but some also have smallholdings which have been in their
families for many generations.
The RMGC scheme will entail the displacement of 1800 people living in
740 houses and 134 flats. Those dwellings will be demolished. The
company says that it will move eight churches and their cemeteries.
Some people oppose the project on the basis that they do not want to
move, they do not believe the promises, they will not accept the
destruction of their homeland.
Others want employment and/or the buy-out promised by the company.
Age is often the deciding factor. Consequently, the community is in a
state of tension - and so, often, are families. Not all young people
want to move since many will inherit land.
The company promises modern bungalows but in a desolate place with no
land for smallholdings nor even much garden.
Under the stress of the situation people have started to sell, not to
the company but to a property agent. Prices offered are very high for
the region. The deal is that they only move out and receive payment if
the project goes ahead. Thus, the company has installed cuckoos in the
nest who will fight for their common cause against protesters.
HISTORY
The Apuseni Mountains have been inhabited since the Stone Age.
It is known that Apuseni gold was used by the Mycaenians and the
Trojans, and believed to have been used by the Pharaohs.
Rosia Montana is the oldest documented town in Romania dating back 1870
years.
The region was known as Dacia and inhabited by the Dacs.
The Romans conquered this area and carried off tonnes of gold and
silver. Trajan's Column in Rome commemorates the importance of the
conquest.
The Habsburg empire similarly dominated the area and exploited the
minerals.
All of this mining was underground.
In the 1970s Ceausescu removed Cetate mountain with its Roman workings
from the list of protected historic monuments. It was blown up and
surface mining began in earnest.
ARCHAEOLOGY
There are many 5000 year old burial tumuli in the affected area.
French scientists have dated wood from mine-workings to the period 100
BC - 100 AD.
Imperial Rome exploited this area more than any other, apart from Spain.
There are still many accessible Roman workings as well as earlier Dac
and later Austro-Hungarian ones.
Remains from the mines are found in museums all over Europe. Wax tablets
from Rosia are important and rare examples of Roman cursive writing.
There are dozens of Dac and Roman ruins and, in places, it is impossible
to walk without stepping on fragments of pottery.
Much is undocumented, relatively little excavation has taken place.
Most of this heritage will be lost.
OFFICIALS
The mayor of Rosia Montana was elected two years ago with a huge popular
mandate resulting from his opposition to the mining development.
Immediately elected he began to adjust his stance and is now very much a
'company man'. He rationalises his metamorphosis as a reaction to
changing circumstances.
The police patrol the area in 'company cars' bearing the RMGC company
insignia and accompanied by company 'bodyguards'. They stop, interrogate
and intimidate foreigners and outsiders. Many local people live in a
constant state of anxiety. The actions of the police draw unfavourable
comparisons with those of the detested Securitate during the Communist
era.
THE NATIONAL CONTEXT
ECONOMICS
Romania is a country in a state of, seemingly perpetual, transition. Its
progress might be compared to a man climbing a steep sand-dune.
There is a need for foreign investment and this scheme promises to be
the largest yet. That has so far blinded two governments to the wider
implications.
Poverty is a national problem and rural mining areas are amongst the
worst affected.
POLITICS
The Social Democratic Party forms the major part of the government,
including the President and the prime-minister, whilst the Hungarian
Democratic Union is a minor coalition partner.
A high proportion of those who wield power and influence today did
likewise during the Communist era. Those who did not (being too young)
grew up in that time and, in many cases, close to the levers of power.
Influential people have shaken off the habits of Communism with varying
degrees of success but it is impossible to do so completely, and
totalitarian reflexes are liable to produce startling and inappropriate
reactions.
CORRUPTION
It is accepted that a 'position' entails the opportunity to benefit
materially from it.
A highly placed official of the Environment Ministry during the last
government - when Gabriel Resources began manoeuvring - is now the
Director of RMGC.
During that period, a counsellor to the President, the Secretary of
State for Mines, the local Prefect and the regional director of Minvest
all made trips to Canada paid for by Gabriel.
JUSTICE
Justice is frail in Romania. That frailty stems partly from corruption,
a debilitating form of self-abuse when applied to the judiciary and
partly from the inexperience of those younger people introduced in an
attempt to improve matters. The judiciary is also politicised to an
undesirable extent.
MEDIA
State owned television is still used as a mouthpiece of government
policy. It recently carried a 'discussion' programme about Rosia Montana
in which all the participants were proponents - from the company,
ministries and the local parliamentarian.
Independent television companies have close links to the governing
political party. They will not confront the present government unless it
is in their own interest. Television generally is a vehicle for
advertising. In the business/political community, everybody knows
everybody. It is not difficult to finds ways of applying pressure.
Everybody owes or is owed favours.
Foreign TV channels are accessible via cable and satellite. In remote
areas, (as Apuseni) the only terrestrial channel is the state-run TVR1,
cable is not available and satellite is rare.
National newspapers display varying and sometimes inconsistent levels of
independent thought. When criticised, the government has sometimes
resorted to threats of imprisonment for those who 'threaten the national
interest'. Probably, it is only the desire to join the European Union
and NATO that deters the government from implementing draconian
restrictions on the press.
The weekly, Formula AS, has courageously led the campaign to expose what
is happening at Rosia Montana and has emboldened some of the dailies.
NGOS
There are many NGOs in Romania with varying degrees of effectiveness. A
significant proportion are environmental groups and some of those work
very well. Funding is a perpetual problem in a poor country without a
strong tradition of charitable giving. Most NGOs survive on outside
sources - foreign foundations or by bidding for EU project grants.
ALTERNATIVES
Apuseni is rich in resources other than gold. It has outstandingly
beautiful scenery, an interesting history and rich archaeology - both
ancient and industrial. It has good terrain for grazing animals and it
has forests. Consequently, there should be a viable future for the
people of the area based on tourism, agriculture (dairy and animal
products), timber products, encouragement of craft enterprises, perhaps
some appropriate light industry.
Not surprisingly, the area does already attract tourists. The nearby
village of Albac is noted for its guesthouses and the entire local
council wrote a letter of protest to a national newspaper. They realise
that this scheme will ruin their community.
Moreover, the Rosia Montana area has suffered considerable environmental
degradation in places, and buildings and infrastructure are also
dilapidated. Restoration and renovation offer considerable opportunities
for training and employment over a substantial period of time.
With appropriate organisation, encouragement and investment there should
be a much brighter, healthier future for the people than currently
exists with their dependence on a single, subsidised industry that
pollutes and gradually destroys their environment. Certainly the
alternative would be better than a single industry that exports the
profit along with the gold and leaves behind it, after a short time, a
toxic desert, a devastated landscape in which life will never again
flourish.
As Wendell Berry, the contemporary American poet, essayist, farmer and
ecologist memorably observed, "We cannot create a good future by doing
badly in the present".
CONCLUSION
A journalist, Horia Turcanu wrote,"I realise that the thing the
inhabitants of Rosia Montana, of Apuseni, need most is solidarity. They
need people to protest, to write, to campaign against this dreadful
menace that hangs over them. They need to know that they are not alone,
crying in the wilderness."
The local people cannot stand up to this threat alone - and they are not
alone. But they, and those campaigning on their behalf and on behalf of
a precious, threatened, irreplaceable environment - and a sustainable
future - need help.
https://www.ngo.ro/aa/images/blank.gif