ROSIA MONTANA, ROMANIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Horses graze on a meadow on a slope on Carnic mountain at the Rosia Montana gold mine site on September 12, 2013 in Rosia Montana, Romania. Carnic mountain is one of four in the immediate area that are rich in gold and silver deposits and that Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, which is majority-owned by the Canadian company Gabriel Resources, is seeking to exploit. Gabriel Resouces has been waiting for a permit to begin mining for gold at Rosia Montana since the 1990s and the Romanian government had been indicating in recent months that permission would finally be approved. A few days ago, however, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta made remarks that cast the approval in doubt. Protesters have taken to the streets in Bucharest against the mine, charging that the heavy use of cyanide in the gold extraction process would be disastrous. If approved, Rosia Montana, where gold and silver mining dates back to the Romans, would become the biggest open-cast gold mine in Europe. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
