NGO statement in support of Rosia Montana community:

From the outset, the proposed Rosia Montana mine project in has been beleaguered by scandals, operational problems, and vehement local, national, and international opposition. If constructed by Toronto-based Gabriel Resources, Rosia Montana would become Europe's largest open-pit gold mine operation and transform the densely inhabited Rosia Montana valley into four open-pit mines. Just a few kilometers south of Rosia Montana, Gabriel Resources owns an even larger concession in Bucium.

The film “Mine Your Own Business,” by Phelim McAleer and his wife Ann McElhinney, purports that “foreign environmentalists” oppose the project and accuses them of “exaggerations and misleading claims.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, local opposition to the mine is strong and organized. Alburnus Maior, a local association based in Rosia Montana, represents families that oppose the mine and refuse to sell their lands. Eugen David, the president of Alburnus Maior, was not interviewed by the film makers, and has sent the attached message and fact sheet to provide more information about the project and the reasons for the opposition.

While Gabriel Resources touts local employment, the mine is expected to create between 250 and 560 jobs, and it remains unclear if local people will have the necessary qualifications to fill these positions. Alburnus Maior counters that Rosia Montana could benefit more through sustainable development activities based on agriculture, tourism, and historic heritage conservation. These would provide long-term development to the region, unlike the mine which would be in production for roughly 16 years.

Over the past few years, the project has come under increasing amounts of international scrutiny. In fact, the International Finance Corporation, the World’s Bank private sector arm, announced in October 2002 that it would not financially support the project, saying in an official statement that it had "concluded that it is in everybody's best interest that we do not pursue discussions with the company regarding IFC's involvement in the project."

Within Romania, Rosia Montana has become an issue of national significance. A January 2007 opinion poll conducted by a Deputy Chamber of the Romanian parliament found that over 96 percent of voted against the mine proposal. The widespread opinion is that the political decision-making about the project is riddled with corruption.

Opposition to the mine is also based in part on the disastrous experience at the gold mine in Romania, where a cyanide spill in 2000 polluted the and Danube Rivers, contaminating the drinking water supplies of 2.5 million people and killing 1200 tons of fish. The European Parliament has cautioned against the environmental threat the Rosia Montana project poses not just to Romania but to the whole region, and Romania’s neighbor , whose eastern rivers face the risk of pollution stemming from the mine, has pointed to serious flaws in the project’s environmental impact assessment.

Academics and scientists too have voiced their concerns. The project is opposed by the prestigious Romanian Academy, the country's highest scientific body, which has stated that “the gold mine proposal is not in the public interest and the collateral negative effects as well as the risks involved are not justified.” The project has also been heavily criticized by archaeologists, including ICOMOS, the archaeological consultant to UNESCO, because of the destructive impact it would have on the area's unique cultural and historical treasures dating back to Roman and pre- Roman times. Romania’s Orthodox Church as well as the Historic Hungarian Churches, all of which own cemeteries, forest, arable land, and historic monuments in Rosia Montana, refuse to sell their properties to Gabriel Resources and oppose the mine proposal.

Keeping in mind that “Mine Your Own Business” is financed by Gabriel Resources, those who view the film should at least take the time to read Eugen David’s message and visit the websites maintained by Alburnus Maior: www.rosiamontana.org and www.rosiamontana.ro .

January 2007

Signatories (80 organizations):

Radhika Sarin Eugen David International Campaign Coordinator President EARTHWORKS Alburnus Maior USA Rosia Montana, Romania David Waskow Smeranda Enache International Program Director Co-Chair Friends of the Earth Liga Pro Europa USA Targu Mures, Romania Joan Kuyek Mircea Olaru Zainescu National Coordinator President MiningWatch Canada EcoMedia Canada Cluj Napoca, Romania Mike Brune George Tiplea Executive Director Vice President Rainforest Action Network The Hargita Centre for Legal Mediation USA Hargita, Romania Fraser Reilly-King Istvan Varga Coordinator President Halifax Initiative Coalition Civitas Nostra Canada Targu-Mures, Romania John Passacantando Cornel Apostol Executive Director President Greenpeace US Eco Alpex USA Braila, Romania George Holliday Eliza Teodorescu Manager, Europe and Central Asia Program Executive Director Bank Information Center Asociatia ALMA-RO USA , Romania Dipl.Ing. Herwig Schuster Gabriel Petrescu Campaign Programme Director Executive Director Greenpeace CEE Open Society Foundation Romania Vienna, Bucharest, Romania

Anamaria Bogdan Dr. Istvan Farkas Spokesperson President Greenpeace in Romania Hungary’s National Society of Conservationists Bucharest, Romania Friends of the Earth Hungary Budapest, Hungary Csaba Mezei Petr Hlobil & Magda Stoczkiewicz Office Director Campaign and Policy Coordinators Greenpeace Hungary CEE Bankwatch Network Budapest, Hungary Prague, Czech Republic

Farkas Szodoray-Paradi Dan Craioveanu President InfoOMG Romanian Bat Protection Cluj Napoca, Romania , Romania László Csonta Janos Mark-Nagy President Executive Director Ţinutul Secuiesc Verde Transylvanian Carpathian Society , Romania Satu Mare, Romania Joszef Szabo Dipl. Ing. Dan-Calin Tocaciu President President Otus Environmental Organisation Sun Valley Environmental Organisation Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania Targu Mures, Romania Prof. Petruta Moisi Ionut Apostol President Executive Director Centre for Evironmental Consultancy Terra Mileniul III Galati, Romania Bucharest, Romania Codrutsa Nedelcu Csongor Kovács Zoltán Executive Director President ARIN Environmental Organisation Green Braila, Romania Cluj-Napoca, Romania Dr. Endre Sarkany-Kiss Luminitia Dejeu President President Apathy Istvan ExtraArt Foundation Cluj, Romania Cluj-Napoca, Romania Laszlo Szakacs Mihai Gligan Vice president President Rhododendron Environmental Organisation Romanian Ranger Association Targu Mures, Romania Bucharest, Romania Sandor Koefoesfoey Hans Hedrich Executive Director Project Coordinator Lion’s Foot Environmental Organisation Sustainable Sighisoara Cluj-Napoca, Romania Sighisoara, Romania Bako Mihaly Ioan Ghira Executive Director President Strawberrynet National Society of Herpetology Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania Cluj-Napoa, Romania Dan Mercea Puran Vasilica President President Independent Centre for the Development of Organisation for Sustainable Development in the Environmental Resources Lower Danube Region Cluj-Napoca, Romania Calarasi, Romania Carmen Dorobantu Silvius Patras President President Organisation of Young Ecologists Piatra Altarului Club Calarasi, Romania Cluj-Napoca, Romania Laszlo Potozky Hajdu Zoltán Director General Coordinator Environmental Partnership Foundation Focus Eco Center Miercurea Ciuc, Romania Targu Mures, Romania

Sabin Cornoiu Emil Maniou President President Friends of Salvamont Cerotin Environmental Organisation Gorj, Romania Gorj, Romania

Ion Negrea Oana Moldovan President Science Society Franta/Romania/CE - Environmetal Network President Gorj, Romania Cluj, Romania Dr. Grigore Davideanu Alexandru Gota President President AquaTerra Environmental Organisation Eco-Breite Iasi, Romania Sighisoara, Romania Mihai Togor Paul Iacobas President President Regional Centre for the Ecological Monitoring of the Centre for Protected Areas and Sustainable Apuseni Mountains Development , Romania Oradea, Romania Ioana Lucaciu Eduard Faier Director President Be Prepared!- Environmental Organisation ECO South-East Oradea, Romania Drobeta Turnu Severin, Romania Dr. Monica Margineanu Zoltán Demeter President Chairman Association for Architecture, Restoration and Green Action Archaeology Miskolc, Hungary Bucharest, Romania Ioana Bobina József Kelemen President Director Women’s Association for Environmental Protection Central European Club for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Kiskufelegyhaza, Hungary Chisinau, Republic of Moldova Benedek Javor Rodica Negura Program Leader President Protect the Future! SalvaEco Budapest, Hungary Chisinau, Republic of Moldova Bence Kovacs Zsolt Füzér Executive Director President Independent Ecological Center Hatvan Environmental Protection Budapest, Hungary Hatvan, Hungary Edina Vadovics ELTE Nature Conservation (ETK) President Veronika Mora Greendependent President Gödöll ő, Hungary Budapest, Hungary Péter Gyöngyössy Huub Scheele President Project Coordiator Deep Forest Fund Both ENDS Szombathely, Hungary Amsterdam, The Netherlands Theodora Borghoff Laura Boicenco President President Ecotopia Romania Mare Nostrum Stanciova, Romania Constanta, Romania Florina Ianculescu Ionut Brigle President President Asociatia Galanthus Eco Training Center Drobeta Turnu Severin, Romania Cluj Napoca, Romania Cristian Grecu George Razvan Marcu Actiunea Civica Directa Executive Director President Ecosens Bucharest, Romania Bucharest, Romania Alin Rosca Gábor Csehó Executive Director Chairman Potaissa Foundation for Ecology and Tourism Csermely Environmental Association Turda, Romania Szeged, Hungary Raul Papalicev Eleonora Mircescu President Vice president Salvamont and the Association for the Protection of ECOTOP the Ceahlau Mountain's Biodiversity Oradea, Romania Piatra Neamt, Romania Dr. Laszlo Rakosy Dr Dumitru Murariu President President The Romanian Society for the Protection of Romanian Federation of Chiropterology Butterflies Bucharest, Romania Cluj Napoca, Romania Attila Pilbath Emil Burdusel President President ACCENT GeoEcologica UNESCO Pro Natura Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania Bucharest, Romania