Macedonia: Stop the Gold Rush in Gevgelia

DOM (Democratic Renewal of Macedonia) calls on citizens to reject the idea related to opening two gold mines on the mountain Kozuf on a referendum scheduled on April 23. Citizens should not allow to be deceived by a gold rush that is announced in this region. Only they can prevent the destruction of environment and health of citizens of Gevgelia and wider region, which lurks behind these projects.

It is incorrect to call a referendum on such an important topic without fully informing citizens about the nature of mine operation. All citizens who vote on a referendum should be aware that the gold mines cannot be opened in Europe because of using cyanide solution in the processing of ore. Cyanide is a deadly poison that destroys all living world via water in the vicinity of a spill. Such environmental disaster with a wildlife plague occurred in the river Danube in 2002 in Baia Mare mine in Romania and since then, the European regulations on gold mines have been changed. For these reasons, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece have rejected all attempts for opening gold mines in the past few years.

The same Canadian company Euromax has been rejected in all countries in the Balkans and was accepted in Macedonia, in the mine Ilovica, Strumicko. It is now being offered as a concessionaire with dirty technology of deadly cyanide in Gevgelia. Gevgelia has a real chance to save the lives and health of people, and to help other citizens to prevent opening of a dozen planned mines. After failure on this referendum, we will ask for a review of the decision on Ilovica mine, and we will seek the responsibility for all persons involved in this, most likely, corruption scandal, announces DOM.