Kennecott Utah Copper has joined the open-records offensive -- not to hold government accountable, but to cover its back.

The copper giant recently filed a records request with Salt Lake County, asking officials to hand over all documents "identified by a recent request by Jeremiah Stettler."

Hmmm. It seems the company has the jitters after newspaper's last investigation revealed a decade-long coverup of seismic instability at Kennecott's tailing impoundment north of Magna.

But Kennecott is welcome to look at the county's documents -- after all, they're public.

What's interesting, though, is that Kennecott faxed its request from the office of political pollster Dan Jones & Associates. Now I'm the one who's curious.

-- js