"NAPOCA"
Bicycle Club
www.ccn.ro
Independent Centre for the Development of Environmental Resources
www.centruldemediu.ro
Ecological Club of Transylvania
www.cetcluj.ro
GREEN TRANSYLVANIA
www.greendex.ro
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
For immediate distribution
70 Environmental NGOs take a stand against the recent statements made by state officials and authorities regarding the Rosia Montana mining project
70 Romanian environmental NGOs have adopted a joint statement criticizing the inclusion of the controversial Rosia Montana mining project into the official government program. The groups have also responded to and questioned the recent public statements by several senior officials on the subject.
The NGOs are seriously concerned about:
• The legality of the "revaluation" of the project; as mentioned in the recently released Government program on energy and mining;
• The recent public statements made by Romania’s President Traian Băsescu, on the discussion and a ‘decision’ on the Rosia Montana mine proposal to be taken by Romania’s Supreme Defense Council
• The recent public statements in support of the mine proposal made by Adriean Videanu, Romania’s Minister for the Economy, Trade and Business;
• The recent public statements made by Laszlo Borbely, Romania’s Minister of Environment and Forests, who claimed that he will agree to the Rosia Montana mining project one he is 101% convinced that it "will not cause pollution" and for establishing a yet another special commission to asses the project proposal;
• The recent statements released in Romania’s press that the Romanian government might disburse state guarantees in the amount of USD 1 billion for the Rosia Montana mining project.
According to the NGOs detailed declaration such acts and declarations not only void, but more and downright suspicious; clearly ignoring legal provisions and relevant irrevocable court decisions. This in return raises big question marks given that the declarations were made by high-ranking functionaries exercising their function and not during a political campaign or in a private context where they could claim to have expressed their personal opinion.
The 70 NGOs are concerned by these developments because they believe that the Rosia Montana mining project entails and would provoke multiple negative environmental impacts; this well beyond any approved norms and limits. According to the NGOs the only legitimate and correct way to prove the mine proposal’s true impact is via the statutory assessment procedures, instead of it being subjected to distorted statements and unlawful and unethical maneuvers.
According to the NGOs, expert institutions and court sentences have already detailed multiple serious legal irregularities and severe technical weaknesses which in return evidence the problems that the Rosia Montana mining project would pose to human and environmental health. These in themselves are sufficient to unequivocally and definitively refuse any environmental permit. The declaration also stresses that in addition to the environmental concerns the mine proposal is equally risky and questionable in the context of cultural and archaeological preservation, human rights, and sustainable development. The groups are also far from convinced that the mine will be in Romania’s economic interest and in the interest of the affected communities.
The declaration is open for further endorsement by NGOs and citizens who will be able to sign on via www.greendex.ro
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For more information contact Radu Mititean/ Executive Director of the ‘Napoca’ Bicycle Club on , Stefania Simion/ Executive Director of the Independent Centre for the Development of Environmental Resources on +40741 588270 , Dan Craioveanu/ Vice-president of the Ecological Club of Transylvania on +40 722 365181 and Csongor Kovacs/ President of Green Transylvania on +40 744 603930 .
ANNEX:
Joint statement on the recent public positions of state officials and authorities regarding the Rosia Montana mining project, adopted on 19/01/2010 by 70 Romanian environmental NGOs
Click here to watch the press conference.
