Plans by Rosia Montana Gold Corp. to use chemical compound cyanide to dig up some 314 tonnes of gold in the village of Rosia Montana, touted as Europe's largest gold deposit, had encountered an equally interesting two-faced type of objections in Romania - one against it and the other supporting it.

The goldmine project of Rosia Montana Gold Corp., which will also include mining 1,500 tonnes of silver, has earned furious opposition from civic rights groups and environmentalists, claiming it will destroy the country's ancient Roman gold mines and villages.

On one hand, some 300 protesters assembled outside parliament in Bucharest on Saturday, urging government to deny the environmental permit that Gold Corporation needs to start digging and open the mine. Valued at $7.5 billion, Gold Corporation said the goldmine project would give Romanian coffers $4 billion in direct taxes, dividends, service providers and jobs.

Cyanide, composed of carbon and nitrogen, is highly toxic as it can replace oxygen in an individual's blood effectively choking the person. As cyanide block the oxygen in the blood, the heart and brain suffer major damage. If the concentration of hydrogen cyanide gas is heavy enough, death will occur within minutes of exposure.

"Never mind that this project is an utter environmental catastrophe waiting to happen, but it is also the worst possible business from a financial point of view for the Romanian state," Vlad Rogati, a 61-year-old retired engineer, said in Reuters News. "We are being misled. The promised jobs for miners are an illusion."

On the other hand, the group supporting the planned goldmine project anticipates the jobs and money it could give to the 2,800 residents of Rosia Montana.

Rosia Montana Gold Corp. is 80 per cent owned by Canadian firm Gabriel Resources with the remaining in the control of the Romanian state,

Four gold quarries will be built over the mine's lifespan, as contained in the company's proposal. These could destroy four mountaintops as well as destroy three villages of the 16 that make up Rosia Montana, while preserving the historical centre, according to Reuters News.