THE PUBLIC MIND: MINING EXECUTIVE THANKS PAPER COLUMNIST FOR VIEWPOINT

Dear Peter:

It is not often these days that I see an article expressing an appreciation for mining. Your recent column made my day.

Unfortunately, we probably have ourselves to blame as much as anyone for the public's lack of understanding of the many benefits mining provides society. We are not exactly the world's greatest communicators.

But we are trying to do a better job of telling our story. We very much appreciate the coverage the Southeast Missourian has given to various Doe Run stories in the last few years. But I wanted to especially thank you for your recent column reminding your readers of Missouri's rich, mining heritage, and that lead mining in particular is being threatened today as never before. I'm hoping that with the assistance of editorial commentary such as yours in Missouri newspapers, we can successfully cope with the threats from the environmental activists who are trying to shut us down.

I've taken the liberty of enclosing a recent article from the Engineering and Mining Journal. The article expresses my viewpoint on what the mining industry must do to help the public better understand our business and why it is absolutely critical to our way of life.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey L. Zelms

The Doe Run Company

St. Louis