Introduction

 

 

Some of you may have heard of Rosia Montana, a small mining village without a mine in the Transylvanian mountains of Romania. This is a small village, but with great potential. It finds itself at the centre of an international controversy about whether to re-open its mine to modern mining techniques for a final and lucrative burst of gold production, laying the long-term basis for the development of the area, or succumb to fierce pressure from environmentalists – who have garnered support from celebrities, fought a media war in Western newspapers and on the internet to stop it at any cost.

 

I first came across the story of Rosia Montana when I read the comments of the actress Vanessa Redgrave in the Guardian newspaper. Redgrave while attending the International Transylvanian Film Festival in Bucharest condemned the financial backing of the festival by Gabriel/Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RGMC), who plan to open the new mine. Her statement attacked the proposed mine in Rosia Montana for its supposed environmental destruction. She dedicated her Lifetime Achievement Award at the Festival to the NGO Alburnus Maior, who were campaigning against the mine stating that "Our planet is dying and we have no right to destroy an ecosystem."

 

A few pages later in the same newspaper there was an “open letter” signed by many villagers from Rosia Montana and supported by Gabriel/RGMC.  The "open letter"  took umbrage at Redgrave’s comments, declaring "If you help a small group of outsiders stop the new mine, without having any connection with our community, they'll leave our village and go on to the next battle against development. You will have ...your fine home in London. Where will we go? How will we live?"

 

They were clearly worried that the words from someone like Redgrave, a famous actress with some international ‘clout’, could have an impact on the project’s future, and their livelihoods.

 

I found this intriguing: a millionaire ex-Trotskyist publicly arguing with poor villagers from Eastern Europe.  I decided this was a story that needed further investigation. I contacted the mine company and explained that I wanted to find out what the true story really was, and to write about what I found. I told them that if I thought this was a bad project I would say so. The company arranged for me to visit the mine, and what follows are my thoughts about the project and the immense amount of material produced in opposition to the mine that I have encountered whilst researching the mine and the opposition to it.

 

Despite the work that had been done in explaining the benefits of the project by the company it seems that there has been a media green-out to all the sensible and laudable efforts made to meet objections. It was clear that the firm wishes of locals to see the project go ahead were being wilfully ignored.

 

This may seem like David versus Goliath, tiny environmentalist groups versus the ‘big bad’ gold company; however in media terms only the ‘green’ and anti-development arguments are being aired. This escalated to the extent that Romania’s EU membership has been put into question over the project! In early July 2005, BBC-Romania published an interview with Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, regarding a possible delay of Romania’s EU accession. During the interview, the Rosia Montana mine venture was pointed out as the one particular problem facing Romania.

 

These notes are my attempt, as someone who has spent time in the less developed parts of the world, with less diplomatic words than the company and the locals might use, and from a Western perspective, to breach the barrage of myths and lies surrounding the project.

 

The company is trying to make a profit. It is multi-national; it makes enormous holes in the ground with big machines to get at huge amounts of gold. Keep in mind while you are reading, that this is something that nobody denies.

 

My wish is that after you read this, you will question the one-sided media portrayal of this vital economic project for the people of Rosia Montana and Romania and engage in the currently partisan debate.

 

Myth 1...