Two-thirds of Romanians (66%) would want the Parliament to ban the use of cyanide in mining activities, according to a study conducted by TNS CSOP in March.

The percentage goes up to 85% in central Romania, where the country's biggest gold deposits are located, reports local Agerpres.

The study also shows that three in five Romanians (60% of the people aged between 30 and 64 with secondary and higher education) believe that banning cyanide mining should be a priority for the Parliament. Moreover, 70% of the population would rather see jobs created in areas such as tourism and agriculture than in mining.

About 63% of respondents believe that the use of cyanide is toxic to humans and the environment.

If the Romanians had to choose between destroying a mountain and recycling mobile phones to obtain the same amount of gold, 60% of them would prefer recycling.

The survey was conducted in March on a sample of 1,045 people aged between 18 and 64. The decision to carry out this study was taken as the Parliament is yet to decide on the draft bill that bans the use of cyanide in mining activities.

Cyanide is mainly used in gold and silver mining activities. One of the most well-known and disputed gold mining projects in Romania was the one at Rosia Montana, held by the Canadian company Gabriel Resources. However, in January this year, the Culture Ministry decided that the town of Rosia Montana and its surroundings should be classified as Category A historic monuments, thus banning any intervention that may affect the area.

In February, the Rosia Montana cultural landscape was included on Romania’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage.

However, there are other sites in Romania where gold mining projects are under development and where the investors may use cyanide.

How much gold and silver do the Canadians expect to extract from the Certej mine in Romania?

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com