Ashland Law Enforcement Investigates GTAC Nitric Acid Bottle Found On Farm

The Ashland County Sheriff’s office is investigating an empty bottle labeled “GTAC nitric acid” found on Wednesday on the farm of a family opposed to a proposed Gogebic Taconite iron ore mine.

The 5-inch long bottle was marked “Caution. Contains Corrosive Preservative” and “Nitric Acid.” Another label read “GTAC Tier 3 List.” It was found in the middle of a 30-acre newly cut hayfield on the O’Dovero farm near Mellen.

Family member Wendy Koosmann said they’re taking the discovery seriously.

“It is very threatening because this is a bio-security issue,” said O’Dovero. “We have livestock. We graze that land. The bottle said ‘nitric acid’ on it. Was it really nitric acid? What toxic substance could have been in there?”

Koosmann said she has to wonder if the bottle is retaliation for their opposition to the Gogebic Taconite mine near their farm.

“We’ve directly stated our opposition to this mine, and stated the threat that it poses for our business and our farm and what it means for our family,” she said.

So far, Ashland County Sheriff Mick Brennan said the investigation is a trespassing case, but that that could change. He said his office will keep the bottle as evidence and talk to GTAC.

“I believe it did say GTAC on the bottle — I haven’t been able to look at it myself,” said Brennan. “I’ll ask them how it may have gotten there, if it was used for the bulk sampling, that type of thing. The family that is on the O’Dovero farm is concerned about this, and rightly so.”

Brennan and the O’Dovero family said this is the first incident of its kind, and that they hope it’s isolated.