TSX Trading Symbol: GBU
TORONTO, May 18 /CNW/ - Gabriel Resources Ltd ("Gabriel") announces that
the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Rosia Montana Project ("Rosia
Montana EIA") has been filed with the Romanian Government. Gabriel awaits the
Romanian Government's decision on the timetable for the public consultation
process relating to the Rosia Montana EIA.
"We look forward to the review, scrutiny and public consultation process
as an opportunity to inform the interested public about our project at Rosia
Montana," said Alan R. Hill, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gabriel.
"We have designed Rosia Montana to be a model mining project not just for
Romania, but for all of Europe. We believe the project outlined in the EIA
will provide significant benefits - economic, environmental, social and
cultural - to the people of Rosia Montana and to Romania as a whole."
The Rosia Montana EIA, completed by an independent team of over 100
Romanian and international specialists in late March, outlines all aspects of
the Rosia Montana gold and silver mining project, from construction through
operations to closure and reclamation. The Rosia Montana EIA is the first-ever
impact assessment to be completed after the promulgation of the new European
Union Directive on Management of Waste from Extractive Industries. The Rosia
Montana EIA submittal followed the technical translation into Romanian and
English.
The EIA Process, Next Steps
Under Romanian law, the next step is for the Ministry of the Environment
and Waters Management and Gabriel/Rosia Montana to jointly establish
opportunities for public participation in decisions related to the project and
to announce that schedule in the mass-media. The announcement of the public
consultation schedule will be followed by a 30-business day period to allow
interested parties to inform themselves about our project. We expect the
public consultation schedule, along with a list of locations where the Rosia
Montana EIA report can be consulted, to be announced shortly. The public
consultation meeting schedule and the full EIA will be available via the
Romanian Ministry of Environment and Waters Management and Gabriel websites.
Comments during the public consultation period will be collected and
reviewed by the Ministry of the Environment and Waters Management. Under
Romanian law, the Ministry evaluates the public's "grounded
proposals/comments" and reverts to Gabriel/Rosia Montana for a response that
is collected and published as an Annex to the Rosia Montana EIA. The Romanian
Government makes the final determination on EIA approval.
EIA Process to Date
The Rosia Montana EIA process began in December 2004 when Gabriel/Rosia
Montana submitted its Project Presentation Report ("PPR") to the Ministry of
Environment and Waters Management. Following its analysis of the PPR, in May
2005 Romanian authorities delivered to the Company a guideline outlining the
requirements for the content of the EIA study.
Due to the potential transboundary nature of the Rosia Montana project,
Romania's neighbouring countries were invited to take part in the evaluation
procedure of the project, as required by the 1991 Espoo Convention. Hungary
was the sole country to accept the invitation, delivering a list of questions
it wished to have addressed by the Rosia Montana EIA. Hungary's questions were
duly incorporated into the framework for EIA analysis.
Following Romanian legal requirements, Gabriel/Rosia Montana selected an
independent EIA team of more than 100 specialists to prepare the Rosia Montana
EIA study. The task of the EIA team was to assess the project's compliance
with Romanian regulations, European Union Directives, and internationally
accepted requirements for long-term sustainable development.
About Gabriel
Gabriel is a Canadian based resource company committed to responsible
mining and sustainable development in the communities in which it operates.
Gabriel is currently engaged in the exploration and development of mineral
properties in Romania and is presently engaged in the development of its 80%
owned Rosia Montana gold project.
