Florence spends almost $300K per year to fight Florence Copper
by Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune
Four separate resolutions committing the town to unspecified legal expenses to oppose Florence Copper’s permits to operate were passed by the Town Council Jan. 17, over the objections of several speakers who asked for more accountability of these costs.
Douglas Carlson of Florence Gardens said it appears the town wants to partner with Southwest Value Partners, a major neighboring landowner to the mine, on a new round of lawsuits. He urged the council to “let SWVP waste their money filing frivolous lawsuits, instead of spending money fighting a legitimate business.”
Ted Bowers, also of Florence Gardens, said the resolution to challenge Florence Copper’s permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sounds open-ended, as if it could take years. He said he’d like to know the town’s legal costs to date, and if the town could be ordered to pay the other side’s legal fees if it loses.
