WRPC website address: http://www.wrpc.net/index.html

June 13, 2003

Dear WRPC Member,

The ill-fated Crandon mine project has undergone yet another change of ownership. On April 10, 2003, a newly-formed company, called the Northern Wisconsin Resource Group (NWRG), purchased Nicolet Minerals Company from BHP-Billiton. The new company is controlled by Gordon P. Connor, president of Nicolet Hardwood Corp. of Laona in Forest County. Despite the lack of any experience in mining, NWRG announced that the proposed mine can be done in an "environmentally safe manner" and planned to proceed with the mine permit process ( see MJS, 4/12/03, enclosed).

Critics of the project reacted with stunned disbelief. "BHP Billiton is the world's largest mining company with net assets of $22.5 billion dollars", said the Forest County Potawatomi Attorney General, in response to the Connor family purchase.  "We do not understand how the world's largest mining company with all of its might, cannot develop this mine, but the Connor family is going to be able to safely extract minerals in this environmentally sensitive area at the headwaters of the Wolf River. The Forest County Potawatomi Community has retained over 20 environmental and mining expert that have  all raised significant concerns with the Crandon mining proposal. We look forward to having the Connor family respond to our reports that raise numerous questions about the the safety of the proposed mine."

Gordon Connor dismissed these concerns and assured the DNR that "NWRG is unequivocally committed to the continuation of the permitting process as currently contemplated for the Crandon mine project. Of principal importance to NWRG is the completion of the permitting process and the avoidance of any additional delays in securing the publishing of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (letter of 5/5/03).

Less than a month later Gordon Connor requested the DNR and the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend the permit process so that NWRG can pause and "complete its internal review of the project and consult with other parties, as appropriate" (see MJS, 6/3/03 enclosed).

The John Muir chapter of  the Sierra Club responded to Connor's request for a pause by urging State and Federal regulators to reject NWRG's "outrageous request."  "NWRG cannot simply turn off a permitting effort and restart it at its convenience because it failed to do its homework before buying the mining company," said Dave Blouin, Sierra Club spokesperson. "State and federal regulators have no obligation to bend over backward to accomodate this company's incomplete and failed mining application, and should reject this request. Since purchasing the mining company less than two months ago, NWRG has repeatedly demonstrated that it is unqualified to operate a mine in Wisconsin." We agree. Let's put an end to this ill-conceived project without further delay.

Stay tuned,

Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec. 
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