Yesterday, the Council of Canadians joined with MiningWatch Canada, MiningWatch Romania, Greenpeace Canada, Greenpeace Romania and other groups issued a joint letter to denounce the proposed Rosia Montana mine in Romania. The Canadian company Gabriel Resources Ltd. wants to build this massive open-pit gold mine in the Carpathian mountains. They would use cyanide to mine about 314 tons of ton of gold and 1,500 tons of silver. This would involve destroying mountainsides, displacing about 2,000 villagers, and creating a 300-hectare toxic tailings pond.
Today, the Paris-based French news agency Agence France-Presse reports, “Les ONG ont exprimé leur “profonde inquiétude quant au soutien nocif du gouvernement canadien à ce projet, qui pose de sérieux problèmes environnementaux, juridiques et économiques”, dans une lettre ouverte envoyée au ministère canadien des Affaires étrangères. Les filiales Greenpeace du Canada, de Hongrie et de Roumanie, MiningWatch Canada et Roumanie, le Council of Canadians, l’ONG américaine Earthworks ainsi que Friends of Earth Canada ont signé ce document avec l’association roumaine Alburnus Maior, basée à Rosia Montana.”
Bucharest-based Hot News notes, “Filialele Greenpeace din Canada, Ungaria si Romania, MiningWatch Canada si Romania, Council of Canadians, ONG-ul american Earthworks precum si Friends of Earth Canada au semnat acest document, alaturi de asociatia romana Alburnus Maior, din Rosia Montana.”
Romanian Global News, which covers the news from Romanian communities around the world, says, “MiningWatch, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Council of Canadians si Earthworks se alatura apelului facut de protestatarii din Romania si Canada pentru a cere Ministrului Afacerilor Externe al Canadei si membrilor Parlamentului Canadian: (1) sa introduca legi pentru a putea trage la raspundere companiile canadiene, in mod special companiile miniere canadiene, care au proiecte si operatiuni in desfasurare in alte tari; (2) sa incurajeze guvernul Canadei sa retraga ajutorul pe care il da companiei Gabriel Resources pentru proiectul minier de la Rosia Montana din Romania.”
And Stop reports, “A nyílt levelet a Greenpeace kanadai, romániai és magyarországi szervezetei, a Council of Canadians, az Earthworks, a MinigWatch Canada, a Friends of the Earth Canada, valamint – a levelet az MTI-hez is eljuttató – romániai Alburnus Maior egyesület írta alá.”
Further reading
Canadian and Romanian groups denounce Rosia Montana mine
New mining law in Romania threatens valley
UNESCO designation could stop Canadian mine in Romania
Romanian anti-mining activists inspired by Occupy movement
