Letter to Mining Journal: "Kennecott's bluff"

MARQUETTE -- Teresa Bertossi of Marquette wrote a letter concerning Kennecott's plans for a haul road for the ore from their Eagle Mine near Big Bay. The letter appeared today, Jan. 24, in the Marquette Mining Journal.

Bertossi's letter is timely since the Marquette County Road Commission will meet at 6 p.m. tonight, Monday, Jan. 24, in Ishpeming. On the agenda are the following items concerning the proposed County Road 595 (intended to be a haul road for Rio Tinto / Kennecott):

CR 595 Update
1. MDOT letter -- Federal Eligibility of CR 595
2. Jim and Darryll Phone Conversation with Rick Thomas Jan. 13, 2011
3. Rio Tinto Letter Dated Jan. 17, 2011
4. Rio Tinto Press Release Jan. 17, 2011
5. Jim Meeting with Kennecott Jan. 18, 2011
6. Jim Phone Conversation with Rick Thomas Jan. 19, 2011
7. Local Officials Meeting Set for Thursday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m.
8. Draft Letter to Rick Thomas
Public comments are allowed both at the beginning and at the end of the meeting.

Here is an excerpt and link to Bertossi's letter:

To the Journal editor:

I'd like to call Kennecott's bluff.

It's likely Kennecott isn't even fully considering the "new" haul route through Marquette. It's more likely a red herring -- a manipulation to try to force public sentiment back the other way -- to get the original road, 595, approved while skirting around the law and not sharing all of the alternatives with the public.

Why bluff? Well, for the same reasons you might in a game of poker, to provoke a fold by an opponent who holds a better hand. Kennecott is trying to use the "new" route to get locals to argue their case for them. Third party advocacy is preferable to direct corporate advocacy, especially when it has the potential to help eliminate federal involvement.... Click here to read the rest of the letter.