General information The mining project proposed at Certej (Hunedoara County) is owned by Deva Gold SA, whose major shareholder is Eldorado Gold Corporation (80%), and minority shareholder the Romanian state company Minvest Deva. The evaluation of the deposit shows that it consists in 45.5 million tones with a concentration of 1.8. g/t gold and 10 g/t silver1. Project status Environmental permit no. 8 from 5th of July 20122 issued by the Environmental Protection Regional Agency Timişoara, the Environmental Protection National Agency and the Environmental and Forests Ministry. The owner of the project Deva Gold SA is a joint venture between Eldorado Gold Corporation (80%) and Minvest Deva. Eldorado Gold Corporation is a Canadian mining company, listed at Vancouver stock market that operates in Greece, Romania, Turkey, China and Brazil. In Romania, Eldorado Gold entered the market after taking over major shares of junior mining company European Goldfields, in December 2011. In Greece, Eldorado Gold Corp. holds 95% of shares in each 3 of the most controversial mining projects: Olympias, Skouries şi Stratoni. Minvest Deva is the state company that holds 18,9% of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation’s shares. Similarities with Rosia Montana project Deva Gold SA company is presently leaded by Nicolae Stanca, former director of the Copper Autonomous Chamber Deva and the one who solicited the exploitation license from the National Agency for Mineral Resources for the joint venture Euro Gold Resources3 (what we know today as being Roşia Montană Gold Corporation). The two mining projects have the same promoter: the Romanian businessman, Vasile Frank Timiş, founder and former president of Gabriel Resources (the main owner of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation). Between 2000 and 2006, Frank Timiş had been one of the most important shareholders of European Goldfields (a range between 15% and 18.9%), which, in December 2011, was taken over by Eldorado Gold for 2.4 billion dollars. Location Certej mining area is located in the South-Eastern part of Metalliferous Mountains in Hunedoara County, being part of the Golden Quadrilateral Săcărâmb – Brad – Roşia Montană – Baia de Arieş (Apuseni Mountains) and it’s situated near Hondol, aproximately 20 km away from the city of Deva. Project description Deva Gold proposes to extract the gold and silver in open cast mine on a 456.2 ha area. With a 16 years lifetime and 3 million tonnes of gold yearly as processing capacity, Certej mining project implies deforestations, uncovering actions, an open pit, 2 waste dumps, the use of cyanide in order to obtain gold and a tailing dam of 63.6 ha. The impacted surface The surface of the project represent 456.2 ha, from which, at the present moment, 187 ha are forests, 30.7 ha grass lands, 5.3 ha arable land and 18.7 ha establishment area. Among these, except for the processing plant and other specific emplacements, 62.8 ha would transform in Certej mine and 63.6 ha in tailing dams. The exploitation technology The ore would be obtained by uncovering actions and use of explosible – nitrammonium (a mix from ammonium nitrate and middle distillate fraction). It would result a crater with a maximum depth of 290 m and 30 m high benches. The ore would be carried to the processing plant with 65 tones weight tip lorries for 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 360 days per year. The processing of ore would realize in 3 stages during 16 years of existence of the mine. Natural resources needed The mining project implies the use of an impressive quantity of water, a total result of 29.583.360 m3 in the 16 years of operation. The water is supposed to come from Mureş River that will lead to influence on the discharges downstream. Toxics substances used The largeness of the mining project from Certej demands the use of 26.448 tones of sodium cyanide and 15.280 tones of copper sulphate. The operated toxic remainders would be stored in the tailing dam.
Name of the basic material, the substance and the chemical | Annual quantity | Classification of substances or chemicals* | ||
Dangerous/ not dangerous(D/ND) | Nuisance value* | Risk phrases* | ||
Initial explosive – dynamite | 229 t/year | D | Explosive | R2-6-44 |
Copper sulphate | 955 t/year | D | Toxic, irritant, dangerous for environment | R22-36/38- 50/53 |
Hidrated lime(including grout) | 7791 t/year | D | Irritant | R34-36-37- 38-41 |
Sodium cyanide (solid and liquid) | 1653 t/year | D | Very toxic, dangerous for environment | R26/27/28- 32- 50/53 |
Activated carbon | 35 t/year | ND | – | – |
Chlorine hydride (liquid) | 898 t/year | D | Corrosive | R 35-36/37 |
Hydroxide sodium | 328 t/year | D | Corrosive | R 35 |
Sodium pyrosulphite | 1909 t/year | D | Toxic, irritant | R22-31-41 |
Hydrogen peroxide (50 % liquid) | 12 t/year | D | Oxidant, corrosive | R5-8-20/22-35 |
Oxygen | 183.901 t/year | D | Oxidant | R8 |
Middle distillate fraction | 5.400.000 l/year | D | Very Inflammable | R10-40-65- 66-51/53 |
Oils (motor, hydraulics) /lubricants | 63.000 l/year | D | Irritant, toxic, dangerous for environment | R38, R41, R43, R45, R36/38 R51/53, R52/53 |
Acid waters handling and tailing dams The sewage water that would result from the North (32.6 ha) and South (40.2 ha) waste dumps will be directed through culverts to settlers for sediments. The sediments will be transported to the flotation dam. The main dam of the tailing dam would have a surface of 63.6 ha and would consist of rock fill. Its realization is proposed in stages: the initial dam (starter) followed by in-sequence increased elevations with a maximum height of 169 m. ! Considerations regarding the tailing dams taken from the Environmental permit released by EPA Timişoara, EPNA and EFM4: – The flotation tailing dam is an installation for waste management from the extractive industry classified in “A” category because in case of failure (loose of dams’ structural integrity) a major accident could occur (uncontrolled and rapid loose of the flotation dam’s content which would lead to losing human lives, effects on the environment and material damage), according to 2006/21/CE Directive, annex III, first line. – The cyanidation tailings dam is an installation for waste management from the extractive industry classified as “A” category basing on inorganic dissolvable/resoluble cyanides (CNWAD) content classified as very toxic substances (H6 category), according to 91/689/CE Directive, annex II and III. The environment and protected areas The mining project’s print covers 108.7 ha of the ROSPA 0132 Metalliferous Mountains Natura 2000 site, on Măcriş Valley. This area represents approximately 0.4% of the site’s surface. The site has a total surface of 26 671 ha. ROSPA 0132 Metalliferous Mountains was designated as Natura 2000 site in 2011. The closest next Natura 2000 site is ROSCI0029 Cheile Glodului, Cibului and Măzii situated at approximately 7.8 km east from the project. Environmental risks and trans boundary impact An eventual occur of an accident is lightly analyzed, and regarding the impact on biodiversity, the company bases on the capacity of each specie to resist and regenerate. The evaluation of the risks is analyzed in connection with Rosia Montana which shows the close connection in their approval. Guarantees and environmental accountability There is no concrete stipulation regarding the financial guarantee for reestablishing the environment in case of accident. Besides nominating the project owner as responsible for the produced accidents, there is no stipulation regarding how the created prejudice is evaluated, what the quantum of the associated compensations is and any assurance that these considerations are fulfilled.