A number of 25 Greenpeace activists from 7 countries – Romania, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Germany protested yesterday at Pungesti, by declaring a quarantine zone around the rig erected by US company Chevron on the perimeter it took under concession in the village Silistea. The activists formed a human chain around the gate of the Chevron perimeter, chained themselves to the fence that surrounds the rig and waved banners with the messages: “Pungesti – anti-Chevron quarantine zone,” “NO to fracking,” “Stop the abuse at Pungesti.” According to the spokesman of the Vaslui County Gendarmerie Inspectorate, Lucian Modoranu, the protest was peaceful and no incident occurred. Organizers say in a press release that the protest was an answer to the “unprecedented measure” taken by the Romanian government to restrict the rights of a community.
“On 16 October 2013, the Romanian government, through its institutions, instated the <Special security zone> at Pungesti to the detriment of protecting the environment and its inhabitants. In order to obtain <cheap gas>, the government defends the interests of corporations instead of defending the rights of its citizens. (…) The industrial extraction of shale gas cannot be done while placing at risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of people living in the perimeters granted under concession. We demand the ceasing of any such initiatives against the environment and the will of citizens,” stated Laurentiu Ciocirlan, campaign coordinator Greenpeace Romania. Chevron Romania was granted under concession three oil perimeters which it can explore-develop-extract: Adamclisi, Costinesti and Vama Veche, all three located in the Constanta County.
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