We should all be working with our local representatives and with our Congressman Peter DeFazio to bring tech companies into the area. We have a lot to offer here and could grow some truly worthwhile jobs, that would allow us to send kids to college etc. I'd choose tech and tourism over chromium strip mining any day of the week. And by the way, Tom Freeman - let's just say: "...very well educated, three degrees." An Oregonian family since 1863. As Bandon residents, we need to defeat OCR! and preserve our future!

Its the same ole same ole in Coos County. I remember as a child growing up in Fairview.When the coos county dump was just over the mountain from Coquille on the fairview side. Most of the Fairview residence were all upset about the dump being put there.but they all got used to it & quit gripping about it. Well low and behold when the county desided to shut it down.oh yes the same bunch of do gooders were all upset because they were moving there dump.I defy anyone to go to the old dump and see anything negative there are tree's growing in the middle of the dump sight and the fact is unless you know where it was you can't find it. I moved to Roseburg over 30 years ago & the mindset of this comunity is that growth is good unlike the dogooders in Coos County. You folks need to expand your thought patern for your childrens sake & not bring another generation up, that just wants to chase there tails around in a circle like there parents are doing.

From an August 1st World article: "If approved, the project will create 65 jobs in the area, according to Wilson. Ron Opitz, the executive director of the South Coast Development Council, said Oregon Resources' payroll would be between $3.5 to $4 million annually." // There, was that so hard "Problem Solver?" Much of the information you're saying no one has researched is in previous World articles. // Not that it matters much now. If you go out there and look, chromite mining is already underway in at least two locations. I doubt the community association appeal will force them to shut down.

Steve: I'm not saying there is anything inherently wrong with mining or logging. Obviously these things are necessary. // I also understand that there are a lot of trees in Oregon, as you so cleverly point out. // My point is that if we want the Bay Area to be more than the red-headed stepchild of the Oregon Coast, we need to look at more sustainable economic options. // I don't see why the chromite mines are such a wonderful economic benefit as compared to tourism, technology, and education. Don't you think the average employee at a technology company would make as much or more than a miner? Or do you think more tourism, technology, and education would be harmful to Coos County?

"Retired truck driver", you put it in a nut shell! Those people who want to suck on any carpetbagger job offer to support their lack of ability to do something for themselves need to be called out for what they are: LOSERS! Coos County can do just fine without them, thank you, so they should just buy a bus ticket to their paradise jobs place.

I drove trucks most of my life. Yeh I had to move my family with me. If there aint no jobs here why dont you move where the jobs can give you a run and family living? Coos is forest and tourists now. Grow up and gray like I did. This aint gonna work. Dont wish for a job that cant pay your bills.

Like most things in life, I don't think this issue is black or white. Exactly how many jobs do they project will be added to the local economy? What is the projected total local revenues for the enterprise? What is the expected profit margin for the chromite mining company? You certainly don't want to be trading Manhattan (your resources) for some shiny beads (low paying jobs). It is possible that the long term costs outweigh the benefits. It is also possible that the benefits outweigh the costs. Nobody on here seems too interested in doing more work to figure out which it is. http://www.industrialmineralscorp.com.au/ From some quick research it appears the operation is from an Australian investment bank speculating on continued commodities price inflation.

adam g, you say tourism.. how do tourists get there $$? you say technology.. why would we need computers with out timber that brings us paper? As for the education part.. you need to educate yourself fist in the tree population in Oregon. Sorry try again! Get your Facts STRAIGHT!

It is harmful to the environment. I hope LUBA slaps them down. You pro-job nuts are weevils.

I have been unable to find any research which indicates naturally occuring chromite has any degree of toxicity. My family and I drank well water for years in the Seven Devils area from a well which had large amounts of chrome sand with no negative effects. Many of the old families in the area will tell you the same thing. I well remember the mined over areas around Round Lake and Chrome Lake. The reforested themselves well and are now some of the areas being described as "so beautiful" by the self-styled (probably transplanted Californians) saviors of Coos County. Go find another cause, we need the industry and the family jobs. So far as the company being Australian, consider that the average miner in Australia is very well paid and taken care of by the mining companies. Why do you think they will do less well for their employees here?

Timber and mining companies have been around for years and the Bay Area still has a horrible economy. The timber and mining "jobs" don't pay that well, and natural resources are finite. Trees only grow so fast, and there is only so much stuff to be dug out of the ground. A sustainable economy is based on things like techonology, education, and tourism.

Why is it that every time JOBS come to this area we turn them away? Every type of industry has its down side, but why do we always look at the bad, JOBS and money back in to the economy, and most of all LOCAL JOBS, and why does every one care about LNG? when is the last time one blew up?? So in stead of thinking about now, think about the future. And if none of this ever happens, everyone is going to move away, and there will be no jobs, unless you want to work for Wal-Mart, or Burger King.

Hello? Updates? Are the chromite mine employees all decked out in Hummers yet? I thought the $35 million payout was supposed to be this week. // Side note: The image verification for this post was "fuqd9." Is this a hidden message? I can't quite make it out.

Is there any update on this issue? Obviously it is an issue with heated followers on both sides and we would like to keep following the story.

All of the opposition on this board speaks of how terrible it is to put a mine "there". The one item that all of the miss is that it has been ZONED for such activity. That is why we have zoning. Some time ago, the county put this area aside for forestry and mixed use, which specifically includes MINING. If you moved into the area, you should have done your homework.

Wonder what it will be like on Highway 101 with fast-driven, rock-loaded trucks going up and down it 24/7? Oh well, at least it will probably be a boost for our local windshield and bodywork businesses.

How can we as homeowners & taxpayers in Coos County, stop this Chromite mining operation from happening? Shouldn't taxpayers vote on it? I believe it would be devastating to the landscape of this beautiful area and would do more harm then good. That's just my humble opinion.

"Financial Analyst" is the classic example of "I've got mine, you can't have yours". If you find yourself thinking alongside with this unprogressive, paranoid ranting, then perhaps you should move to another country...perhaps a non-capitalistic country, say Venezuela...or Cuba.

RV's, sedans filled with families and their sand buckets, campers, bicycles, golfers, beach combers, mushroom hunters... I can't count the number of tourists who stop and ask for directions, sometimes in front of my house and more often on the corner of W. Beaver Hill and Whiskey Run. Now throw in 24 ton trucks who won't be able to stop let alone slow down? Folks this is not a good mix. This is a receipe for disaster. 7 Devils/Whiskey Run/Beaver Hill is a beautiful farmed, forested, residential and tourist route area. There are 2 destination beaches, a world class golf course, vacation rentals and families here. This is not an area for commercial mining. ORC needs to dig somewhere else, for the safety of us all and those who truly support our community!

Prove what they say? Well, they SAY they are going to hand pick gorse to control it. They SAY a 500 gallon tank of water should handle any fires. They SAY you can drive a 24-ton truck up West Beaver Hill. Also another reason is because this company has never turned a profit since their inception as a company many, many years ago. I have a question for all the trucking companies who want to haul dirt for ORC. When you head out and buy your new rigs for this job, what happens when the company (who AGAIN I SAY HAS NEVER turned a profit) takes their capital raised in their Australian stock market and ducks to Bermuda where they are based. Or maybe they go to Switzerland, where they also have offices. That leaves you holding the payments on some big machines. You realize they are leasing their space over by Bunker Hill, right? Month to month. This has got SCAM written all over it. Then, guess who cleans up their mess when they leave? You guessed it TAXPAYERS. Do you think the County could have more jobs and make more money in the long run by rezoning that oceanside land into 5 acre parcels and building homes? YOU BETCHA. It will be a wasteland when they finish.

All these people who say chromite mining will bring good jobs to the area, have you actually looked at how much these kind of jobs pay? Look at towns with mining based economies. Superior, Arizona has one of the largest copper mines in the world, but the people of Superior are really poor, and the town looks like hell. The ones who get rich off mineral extraction are the owners and upper management who live elsewhere. // There is no upside to strip mining. The company will come in, take what they want, and leave us with a ruined landscape. I challenge anyone to provide verifiable evidence that the majority of people working the chromite mines will be making a living "family wage," of $25-$30 an hour or more.

"Bandon Resident" calls mining a "rape of the land", yet I bet he/she enjoys living in a world of conveniences such as cars, appliances, heating, etc. Only an uneducated hypocrite would slam mining in such a way. If it can't be grown, it HAS to be mined. Period. Why not give ORC the opportunity to prove what they say?

Most peaple won,t even let a power pole be put in the ground near them. So there is no chance to do somthing that some one can get a job from.

Anyone of you who thinks the Oregon Research Corp [based in Australia] is going to offer good paying jobs and perks has gotta be smoking something! With the ocean, beautiful coastline, a world class golf course, anyone who allows chromium strip mining has to be out of his/her mind! Only a fool would let this rape of the land, this travesty take place and it doesn't matter whether you are a Oregonian or a Californian displaced, this is just a destructive corporation that will add nothing to our lives nor to the county.

Earl...you just made everyone for jobs, industry, and economic growth look a little smarter. Meth kills.

Earl, are you just a wee bit bitter? You have some good points but amidst all of the sarcasm it is lost. You do have to realize some items though, without truckers going up and down the road every minute of every day, you would be hurting. Though more trucks are bad, keep in mind without them, there are no stores.

What's the big deal? They are just digging a little! Of course, they may poison everyone's water, but it isn't like you can't move! And forget about the noise...it's not like you would rather hear the ocean over the hum of those diesel engines all night long....beep....beeep...beep....(backing up again). And so what that the US used this chromite when they really needed it during WWII...when we need it again we can just buy it back from Australia! Oh, wait, they are shipping it to China...so, we can buy it from them. But, they are bringing jobs! That is awesome, because we need jobs where people are driving 24-ton trucks at 4am...driving hazardous waste up and down the highway. Won't that be great!!! I just love to see those holes in the road a huge heavy truck causes...and who doesn't like getting in a real close collision with a sleepy truck driver who is suffering from Chromite poisioning? Wow, they are AWESOME!!!! I am a little disappointed that the Australian company doesn't want to help pay for our road rebuilding. I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY A PENNY! Why would they? It isn't like those roads need any help! And, who says the extra 60,000 trips those trucks make each year will make a difference? I BET IT WON'T! Actually, once the roads get wet, I bet all those trips with those heavy trucks will actually HELP THEM OUT! Screw California!! Those idiots would probably try and block a foreign company from coming in and putting big trucks on a bike trail! What IDIOTS!! How that state ever got better public schools than Oregon, I will never know. One thing for sure though, we can play some football. Go DUCKS! (Can ducks live in Chromite lakes?)

Thank you "Red"! Bravo! Most county residents are not aware that real estate agents have to divulge the chromite mine prospect in Bandon Whiskey Run/Beaver Hill area and hence all sales are in "limbo". I don't think the Chamber of Commerce wants to advertise the south coast as "Close to the Chromite mine". Close to the best golfing/beach access on the west coast sounds much better. Again, many thanks from someone who does care about this beautiful spot on the south coast of Oregon.

Sorry, not buying it. Here is another local (Curry) person who says that the last thing we need is more dependence upon a natural resource industry which does nothing but eliminate potential tourism dollars. Why can't people get the fact that the future does not involve raping the land?

I can't believe there are so many idiots in this county! Where do you think the money comes from for golfing, restaurants, gift shops, gas, motels etc that employ so many people in our county? Obviously you are not supporting your own community. Have you done any research on ORC or mining stocks with a stock broker? Try it, it's free, eduacate yourselves instead of talking about issues you REALLY know nothing about. Why would anyone want to destroy the fastest, most valuable, developing area for housing, that supports all the construction jobs being financed from money of out-of-staters? There certainly will be more employed from building custom homes than could potentially, be employed as truck drivers. You are all Californiphobes

Charleston resident, do you remember the gas tankers in the bay? all the thousands of gallons of gas pumped under hwy 101 into the large holding tanks? no one complained then. LNG is safer and the mine will bring ecomomy to this area that is falling apart. Please start thinking about the whole picture before you ONLY think about YOURSLEF.

to Charleston resident: You are one of the people that make this town a poor one. WE NEED these jobs, industries and businesses. There aren't enough good jobs around here. Everytime a business wants to set roots in our area, we won't let them. It's about time we had more than mills, fishing and Wal Mart that bring in jobs to our communities!

This issue has nothing to do with California, UNFORTUNATELY. In California the local City or County DOES HAVE authority to place conditions on a "Conditional Use" such as limiting the amount of trucks per hour, hours of operation, verifying existing condition of ground water, etc., so the mining operation would not endanger the local residents and tourists visiting. To Mr. Freeman's comment, asking if it is possible to see the old mining locations? The answer is NO, but it took 40 to 50 years for the land to recover from the previous mining scars. There is no timeframe required for this mine to restore the forest after they have gone back to Bermuda!!

But, Please, go back!!!!

Coos County is and always WILL be the industrial center of the Oregon Coast. It has a rich history in mining (coal, gold, AND chromite). In fact, the chromite deposits here in Coos County helped make steel for the war effort during WWII. When people say it is "ugly"...I wonder if they can pick out where the old mines were? Have you thought about that as you are driving down Beaver Hill (largest coal producing area) or Seven Devils (largest chromite producing area during WWII)?

I enjoy driving Seven Devils Road to Bandon, now I will have to go out of my way into Coos Bay and then down 101 to Bandon, because I will be affraid of the truck traffic. Sounds like a very bad idea to me. Not a clean one for sure. Why can't we get some clean and safe industry in our area, we keep getting all these dangerous types, like the LNG ships, that scare me to death. We are trying to completely ruin our beautiful area with all these industries , etc. etc. that other states and towns don't want and somehow refuse to let in, but oh no, Coos County will take all the loser type jobs, industries, businesses..... What is wrong with us ?????????

It's not a California thing, it's more of a "Dont want some foreign corporation raping my land of OUR resources while poisoning my well water and creating constant noise and light pollution." (The worst part is the horrific traffic accidents that will inevitably happen due to 24/7 truck activity on tiny roads like Whisky Run, Seven Devils and Beaver Hill...in the fog, in the rain, at night and on some curves that can barely handle 2 small cars at the same time, let alone massive tandem ore hauling trucks. Yep, people in Australia and Bermuda get rich from it and WE get the shaft...literally

Californians trying to block anybody else from getting ahead. Welcome to Oregon, enjoy your visit Californians,