Renowned Jewelry Firm Speaks Out Against Mine Proposal
Jewelry company Tiffany & Co. — of “Breakfast at” fame — shocked the mining industry and the Bush administration yesterday when it took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post opposing the proposed Rock Creek copper and silver mining project in Montana, which would involve tunneling under a wilderness area. In an open letter to U.S. Forest Service chief Dale Bosworth, Tiffany head honcho Michael J. Kowalski wrote that Rock Creek “opponents’ fears are justified,” and asserted that mining-industry reforms are “urgently needed.” Department of Agriculture officials, mining lobby spokespeople, and executives from Revett Silver, the company planning to mine at Rock Creek, all rushed to assure the public that the project was — despite opposition from local, regional, and national environmental groups — perfectly safe for the environment. Grist readers will have the opportunity to ask Kowalski about his surprising stand when he does a stint as our InterActivist soon, so stay tuned …
