Environmental organisations Mining Watch, Greenpeace Romania and Bankwatch are calling on the Government to withdraw the draft decision that would add the Valea Dobra deposit in Sibiu County to the state's public domain.

According to a press release from the organisations, the mining licence for the extraction of industrial and construction rock has already been challenged before the mining regulatory authority due to several serious irregularities.

'Adopting the Government Decision before the appeal has been resolved would have irreversible administrative consequences. Once a decision enters into force, it can no longer be revoked by the Government and can only be annulled by a court. Legal proceedings can take years, during which the project would cause irreparable harm to the local community and the surrounding environment,' the release reads.

In their preliminary complaint, the environmental organisations argued that the licence had been issued on the basis of incomplete documentation covering less than 6% of the actual investment. Furthermore, the risks to people living near the chemical plant had not been assessed. Residents of Saliste have already voted against the project, while an online petition opposing the extraction has gathered more than 20,000 signatures.

However, the licence was granted solely for extraction and crushing, leaving the chemical processing of the ores, the main source of risk, outside any assessment.

'The Government Decision would legitimise a project that is harmful on every level: dangerous for the local community, with severe environmental consequences and damaging even to the state budget. The royalty for construction rock is up to four times lower than what the state would collect from the chemical processing of the materials. So why is the Government rushing to adopt such a decision? We call on the Government to examine this project thoroughly, listen to the local community and comply with the law, which requires a rigorous assessment of the risks to the population and the environment,' said Luminita Dejeu, president of the Independent Centre for Environmental Resource Development (CIDRM) / Mining Watch Romania, as quoted in the press release.

The environmental organisations point out that the draft decision would include the Valea Dobra deposit of 'magnesitic rocks (magnesian serpentinites)' in the inventory of assets belonging to the state's public domain, using an inventory value taken from the company's feasibility study. The deposit has been concessioned to Mineral Proiect Invest S.A. (MPI) under Licence No. 29,694/2026, approved by ANRMPSG Order No. 529 of 3 September 2026.

Among other objections, the organisations argue that the licence was granted without approval from the environmental and public health authorities, contrary to the procedure outlined by the Prime Minister's Chancellery. They also claim that the deposit was classified as a construction material despite the licence holder's own documents contradicting this classification, and that the project was split into separate components.

Furthermore, the licence covers only extraction and crushing, while the chemical processing component, the main source of risk, remains outside any assessment.

The organisations also argue that the project was initiated by an interim Government that lacked the authority to adopt it and that, once the decision takes legal effect, it will no longer be possible to revoke it. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Cristian Anghelache; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)