In an email today to fellow commissioners Whitty and Stufflebean as well as local media, Bob Main makes the following suggestions –

Some thoughts on the Chromite Mining issue.

1. 75 jobs will be a boost to the local economy.

2. The ancillary economic impact of related sales will help our local economy.

3. The exploration agreement should be separate and distinct from the actual lease of the property for mining purposes.

4. Coos County should be due diligent and perform their own exploration to determine the extent and content of the minerals / metals that the citizens of Coos County own.

5. The lease by Coos County should only be for specific minerals i.e. chromite, garnet. All other minerals / metals should be a separate contract.

6. Coos County should enlist the help of an attorney that specializes in mineral leases.

7. Royalties, etc. should be thoroughly researched, thereby, providing the citizens of Coos County the best return for their minerals / metals.

8. The mechanism for payment of the royalties should be thoroughly researched.

9. 1.34 million tons of unrefined chromite ore per year may contain 1 ppm (parts per million) of platinum would mean approximately 40,000 troy ounces of platinum per year. Platinum is currently at about $1,050 per ounce x 40,000 ounces = $ 42,000,000 per year for the citizens of Coos County. Gold is currently around $900 per ounce.

10.What happens to the lease if ORC goes out of business? Should the lease terminate and not be

absorbed by another company.

11.$450,000 road improvement in the URS report. Who should bear the burden of this cost?

We need to be very cautious and perform due diligence before entering into an contractual arrangement!

Bob Main

February 13, 2009

Bob is absolutely right the County needs to do its own due diligence before signing any deals (or letting go any more County employees) with ORC or any other company seeking to do business with County resources.