Rosia Montana from 2006

By kfcohen
  • Period: to

    Adrian Nastase- PM

    2004 ran for President. Arrested for corruption charges 2012. Member of PSD

  • Adoption of General Urbanism Plan and the Zoning Urbanism Plan

    Rosia Montana's local council adopted Rosia Montana's General Urbanism Plan and the Zoning Urbanism Plan for the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation Industrial Development Area: 1600 hectares, 4 villages of Rosia Montana Commune, were re-zoned as industrial areas. All living there had to be resettled by July, 2004. No new permits were issued for private investment or commercial operations (such as a tourist shop or hotel)
  • Period: to

    Urbanism Plan (resettlement due to zoning)

    Case against Urbanism Plan (resettlement due to zoning)

  • First Court Action by Alburnus Maior

    autumn, 2003. First court action. aimed to halt "illegal" mining activities by Minvest in the Carnic Massif at Rosia Montana
  • Period: to

    Mining at Carnic Massif

    Minvest continued mining at Carnic Massif, while Alburnus Maior continued legal actions

  • RMGC's Environmental Impact Assessment begins

    date/month unknown. City Council Alba issued urbanization certificate, which allowed RMGC to intitate EIA procedure

  • Alburnus Maior challenges Minstry for Culture

    Alburnus Maior challegenged legality of arcaeological discharge certificate issued by Ministry for Culture and the Cults for the Carnic Massif
  • Period: to

    case re: archaeological importance of Carnic Massif

    Nov 26, 2007 Brasov Court of Appeal rules in favor of Alburnus Maior re archaeological importance of Carnic Massif

  • Prime Minister Adrian Nastase speaks against gold mine

    the third criticism by Prime Minister Nastase, made 1 month before national elections

  • RMGC submits Project Presentation Report and request for EIA

    during early scoping stage, AM files complaint with Aarhus Compliance Committee for lack of cosultation
  • Period: to

    Traian Basescu - President

  • Mures Court of Appeal obliged Alba Iulia EPA to make public Bucium Exploration License granted by National Agency for Mineral Resources

    brought by AM, Otus Association for Env Protection, and CRJ

  • Alba-lulia Court admitted an injunction for environmental reasons

    Alba-lulia Court of Appeals admitted an injunction for environmental reasons for 39 drilling points in Rosia Montana

  • Romanian Academy stated opposition

  • Min of Env and Waste Management released lst of comments and suggestions resulting from public consultation - "annex questions"

  • Min of Env announced EIA suspended due to suspension of UC 68/2004

  • RMGC obtained UC 78/2006

    UC 78 has no tailings pond and dam proposed for construction. Several NGOs requested the min of Env to reject it, including Alburnus Maior and Centre for Legal Resources

  • Minvest permanently ceases all mining operations in Rosia Montana.

    Closure plan approved by Min of Econ and NAMR.

  • RMGC submits EIA study report to Min of Env

  • AM and Otus Association for Env Protection complaint to Tigru-Mures Court re Alba EPA failure to communicate RMGC mining license for Bucium (phase 2)

  • Min of Env announces inception of Public Consultation Procedure for EIA

  • Hungary's Min of Environment asks Romanian Gov to NOT grant EP due to problems with EIA

  • AM releases independent expert analysis in response to RMGC's EIA report

  • EPA requests RMGC submit SEA application for Urban Zoning plan for PUZ (industrial dev area)

    follows AM's independent expert report and a constetation from 17 NGOs showing RMGC's circumvention of consultation with environmental agencies

  • Alba Iulia and Sibiu EPAs approve urban zoning PUZ for Industrial and Historic Center- no SEA needed

  • After AM's complaint with Arhus Compliance Committe agaisnt Min of Env, gov decides to include public participation and scoping in EIA

    Aarhus Compliance Comittee (ACC) instrument of ratification of Aarhus Convention- access to info, public participation on environmental matters- entered into force on Oct 30 2001
    Min of Env violated article 6.

  • 17 NGOs submitted contestation for PUZ certs without SEA. Hungary NGOs Also submitted petition to Hungarian Min of Env about ensuring ESPOO Convention

    “whilst these two decisions were taken to avoid lengthy and costly consultations with the Romanian and Hungarian public and their authorities, the decisions are two serious and evident infringements of transposed European legislation on SEA and urban planning.”

  • Tigru-Mures Court admits complaint of Alba EPA and fines Alba EPA everyday it does not communicate license to AM and Otus Association

  • European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee mentions Rosia Montana in discussing its acceptance to EU

  • Alba EPA states "it is impossible to communicate the licesnse to the plaintiffs"

  • Romania joins EU

  • AM and Otus Association letter to Min of Env Barbu re Alba EPA lack of compliance to communicate mining license for Bucium (phase 2)

  • Min of Env releases list from EIA consultation procedure that RMGC must address in Annex to EIA

    AM and Greenpeace conduct analysis of list, find problems [onine]

  • Alba-Lulia Court annulled Alba EPA permit

    Alba-Lulia Court of Appeal annulled an Alba EPA permit granted to Gabriel for 192 drilling points at Rosia Montana and 59 at Bucium

  • Cyanide Ban proposed in Senate

  • Min of Env releases IGIE-Rosia Montana Report by ad hoc committee

    committee set up by Romania's and Hungary's Mins of Env
    AM commissions Robert Moran to do expert assessment of IGIE report

  • RMGC publishes Annex to EIA

    AM submits collection of responses to Annex to Min of Env

  • Senate approves Cyanide Ban

  • Cyanide Ban proposed in Chamber of Deputies

  • Cluj Tribunal suspends UC 78/2006, which suspends EIA

    request made by Independent Centre for the Development of Environmental Resources

  • RMGC obtains UC 105/2007 -

  • AM & CIDRM request suspension of UC 105/2007

  • AICA suspends ADC 5/2004

  • Ministry of Environment suspended EIA for Rosia Montana based on court action re urbanism certificates, initiated by Alburnus Maior and partner NGOs

    ? due to change n Administrative Litigation Law? UC 105 invalid because pendingaction against UC 78 Also, opposition to the EIA procedure taking place at Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee- "intl convention that ensures the public'srights to information, public participation and access to justice on environmental issues". by AM And EIA documentation submitted by Gabriel contested by independent experts and Hungarian Govt, claiming evidence is too biased for Romanian Govt to issue permit

  • Cluj Tribunal annuls UC 78/2006

  • Brasov Court of Appeal annulled archealogical discharge certificates for Carnic Massif

  • Alba-lulia Court of Appeal nullifies "commercial" contract made between Rosia Montana Commune and RMGC

    Rosia Montana Commune was represented by mayor and agreed that the Commune would support company in obtaining authorizations and licenses and obtain licenses on behalf of project's owner. In return, company would build "New Rosia Montana"

  • Alba-lulia Court of Appeal ruled Urbanism Plan is illegal. LCD 1/2009

    Alburnus Maior won court decision over legality of Urbanism Plan- majority of local councillors who voted in favor of plan were employees at the mining company (conflict of interest).
    "The decision of Alba Iulia Court of Appeal will lead tothe annulment of urbanism certificate No.68/2004issued by the County Council Alba for RMGC'sEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedureinitiated in 2004." Permitting process-throught Ministry of Environment- must start over

  • RMGC files at Bucharest Court of Appeal against Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Dev, Minister Korodi, and State Sec Stoica for suspending the technical analysis committee (TAC)'s EIA

    from Gabriel Resources Suspension of TAC/EIA process in Sept 2007 due to urbanism certificate.
    Oct 2007- RMGC filed complaint, Ministry of Environment rejected complaint and request for restarting the TAC/EIA process
    WHY TIME BETWEEN COMMENCING LEGAL ACTION AND FILING?
    Nov 2007- RMGC commenced legal action in Bucharest Court of Appeal

  • Cyanide Ban returned to Industry Comm in Chamber of Deputies

  • Romanian Senate approves proposal to create Rosia Montana natural and archeological reservation administered by Reservation Administration led by a govt appointed Scientific Council

  • RMGC requests additional 900,000 Euros in case against Min of Env et al at Bucharest Court of Appeal

  • UC 105/2007 expires

  • Period: to

    Emil Bloc- PM

    Member of PDL. Current mayor of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania. Supported by Basescu. Resigned amid anti-austerity protests.

  • Supreme Court upholds Brasov ruling, protecting Carnic Masif

  • Supreme Court upholds Brasov ruling of Archaeological dishcarge certificates (No4)

  • Heavy metal spill from Toroloaga mine near Baia Borsa into Tisza River flowing into Ukraine.

    Ukraine min of foreign affairs has requested an explanation by Romania. European Commission also informed of accident. Mine is managed by one of the owners of Rosia Montana, Cartel Bau S.A.

  • former Senator from Cluj Gheorghe Funar submitted request to Audiovisual Council to halt screening of Gabriel's ads.

  • Announcement of Audiovisual Council's decision to halt screening of Gabriel's TV ad "Rosia Montana - 4 billion dollars" for misinforming public

  • Bucharest Court of Appeal dismissed RGMC's legal action re restarting TAC/EIA

  • Min of culture visits Rosia Montana

  • Romania to become member of UNESCO Executive Council

    Prof Manescu pointed out that Romania needs to take actions on pledges towards protecting patrimony

  • Cluj Tribunal annuls UC 105/2007

  • UC 87 issued to RMGC by Alba County Council

  • Euro Par votes ban on cyanide

  • Min of Env Borbley announces resumption of EIA

  • "Rosia Montana is in Danger" Conference sponsored by Pro Patrimonio, ICOMOS, Romanian Academy, and MEP Sarbu

  • Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) issued for Industrial Area PUZ

  • Bucharest Court of Appeal rules in favor of RMGC to recover taxes from 2005-2007

  • Alburnus Maior & ICDER file appeal of UC 87 @ Cluj Tribunal

  • New Archaeological Discharge certificate issued

    After National Archaeology Commission of Romania recommended project

  • NGOs (AM + ICDER?) filed for cancellation of SEA @ Cluj Tribunal

  • 2 petitions to Euro Parliament- Ad Astra and Rosia Montana Cultural Foundation

    <a href='http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/committees/video?event=20111004-0900-COMMITTEE-PETI&vodtype=Vod#'
    video of ad astra's petition</a>
  • Period: to

    Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu- PM

    voted no-confidence and disolved

  • CFR 1907 Cluj Soccer team drops RMGC as sponsor due to fans' pressure

  • AICA decides to uphold 2009 ruling re Urbansim plans are illegal

  • Atilla Karodi (UDMR) appointed Minister of Environment

  • Hunor (Min of Culture) stated that approval cannot be given until arch DC is given for Orlea

  • Cluj tribunal says UC 87 appeal was too late, does not validate UC 87

  • Period: to

    Victor Ponta- PM

    member of Social-Democrat Party (PSD) and Social Liberal Union

  • Min of Env Korodi announces results of a legal audit for Rosia Montana Project, halt project

    Leaua and Associates - law firm representing Min of Env in all litigation re Rosia Montana

  • Korodi announced to media legal audit that shows AICA decision stops TAC review

  • Victor Ponta becomes Prime Minister

  • Written judgement from AICA -AICA decision has no impact on 2002 Urbanism plans UC 87/2010, TAC's review will continue

  • USL party won majority in local elections, expected to win Parlamentary this Fall

  • First Hearing for appeal of SEA for Industrial Area PUZ @Cluj Tribunal

  • First hearing for UC 87 appeal at Bucharest Court of Appeal

  • First hearing of Romanian authorities appeal of taxes owed RMGC in High Court of Cassation and Justice