The Council of Canadians has joined with MiningWatch Canada, MiningWatch Romania, Greenpeace Canada, Greenpeace Romania and other groups 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.
Our ‘Open Letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Members of Parliament‘ highlights:
“The Canadian government is no stranger to this situation. Via its embassy representatives it has been supporting this project for many years, a fact proudly boasted by Gabriel Resources. Over the years, the Canadian government has actively lobbied in support of the controversial project. Former Canadian ambassador Raphael Girard, who later became Director of the Board of Gabriel Resources for two years and lobbyist for the company, stated in 2005 that ‘the Canadian government fully supports the project and in addition to this, the Canadian embassies in Brussels and Budapest are lobbying and doing all they can to help make the project happen.’ Ambassador Marta Moszczenska also spoke favourably of the company. In October 2013, during the Rosia Montana Romanian Parliamentary Commission hearing, it was revealed that Canadian diplomats were mounting pressure on Romanian officials to endorse the gold mining project.”
And we state:
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We are deeply disturbed by the ill-considered support of the Canadian government to this project, which poses more than serious environmental, juridical and economic risks. -
We ask for the withdrawal of Canadian Government lobbying and assistance to Gabriel Resources’ Rosia Montana gold mining project. -
We call on Members of Parliament to support the development of Canadian legislation that would hold Canadian mining corporations operating abroad accountable for their actions.
Further reading
UNESCO designation could stop Canadian mine in Romania
