Local leaders meet with mine site owners to discuss future

HURLEY — A group of local leaders met with representatives from La Pointe Iron Co., last week in Hurley to discuss the possible reception a renewed development of the mine site near Upson Wis., — by a company other than Gogebic Taconite — would receive in Iron County.

According to Victor Ouimette, a member of the Iron County Board of Supervisors, the meeting was initiated by the company to feel out the local temperament regarding the possibility of a different company developing a mine.

Among those at the meeting, according to Ouimette, were himself and fellow board members Opal Roberts and Jim Kichak; as well as Leslie Kolesar, the chair of the county’s mining impact committee and Kelly Klein, Iron County Development Zone Director. Ouimette said Jack Giovanoni and Peter Sturgul also attended the meeting with the three company representatives.

“I thought it went very well,” said Ouimette.

“I think La Pointe wanted to get a sense of — before they start to talk to another company that wants to mine the deposit — what are they going to run into in Iron County.”

Kichak confirmed that the meeting was largely an attempt to feel out the local reaction to a new company attempting to develop the mine.

“They came up and wanted to get a feel of how the county board was going to react to the mine,” Kichak said.

He added the only insight he could give regarding the potential for actually developing the mine was the representatives said there were “people interested,” but didn’t elaborate further.

While G-Tac continues to hold a lease on the property, Ouimette said the lease expires in September. This would allow La Pointe, which partially owns the property, to bring a different company in to develop the site, according to Ouimette.

Given that nothing can be done until fall, and then the process would have to start over, Ouimette said the discussions remained very casual and preliminary and everything was still in a very early stage.

“This was kind of like having a first or second date with somebody and your still trying to figure out what your relationship might be,” Ouimette joked. “It was very cordial ... we listened and they listened.”

Ouimette said he was pleased with the result of the meeting and remained open to a mining company developing the site, as long as the county and area residents are treated the right way.