The Vancouver Sun reports in its Wednesday edition HudBay Minerals has moved to block Augusta Resource's poison pill. A two-day-old Canadian Press dispatch to The Sun quotes the company as saying Monday it has asked the B.C. Securities Commission to cease trade the shareholder rights plan before its takeover offer expires on May 5. HudBay chief executive officer David Garofalo said Augusta has had more than 60 days since the offer was announced and has failed to produce an alternative to HudBay's takeover offer. Augusta said late last month that nine potential buyers had signed confidentiality agreements and were reviewing its books. At issue is Augusta's Rosemont copper-molybdenum project near Tucson, Ariz. Rosemont boasts proven and probable reserves of 5.9 billion pounds of copper and 194 million pounds of molybdenum. Augusta CEO Gil Clausen said the company will "vigorously defend" its poison pill. "We will argue our position forcefully before the B.C. Securities Commission in order to protect the rights of Augusta shareholders." HudBay has offered 0.315 of a Hudbay share for each Augusta share, valuing the company at about $407-million or about $2.80 per share, based on its share price Monday.