And again, alas, a Canadian company is behind it … here’s the incipit with the salient bits:

A Transylvanian gold mine project which critics say threatens the environment and an ancient Roman temple was approved for development by the Romanian government on Friday.

Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely said his ministry will clear the construction of two dams by Canadian mining company Rosia Montana Gold Corp. to extract gold from ore. The ministry had rejected the plans in 2007 on safety grounds, but the company filed a lawsuit and a court recently ruled in its favor.

The company still needs to get various permits from water and environment authorities before it can go ahead with the mining project.

President Traian Basescu and the government support the project, which has been bitterly opposed by civil groups, historians and archaeologists, and some politicians. Romania’s economy is a in a deep recession and can use any new investments.

Critics say the mine could pollute streams and rivers in case of an accident, pointing out that a cyanide leak at a Romanian gold mine in 2000 killed much of the aquatic life in the Tisza River, a tributary of the Danube River, which runs also through Hungary. They also say the mine would damage a Roman temple and other monuments uncovered in the area.

via Controversial gold mine in Romania gets go-ahead – BusinessWeek.

For comparanda:

• Roman Gold Mine in Spain

… there’s a couple of others, but I can’t seem to locate them right now …

As reported by Peter Stothard:

Mary Beard throws a fig

… and Mary Beard:

Toga party (and figs) at the British Museum

… with assorted photos between the two of them of toga- and stola-clad Classicists!