Reclamation and Mine Closure (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jan. 13, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Asset retirement obligation
Asset retirement obligation - Beginning	$ 27,908,000	$ 25,689,000	$ 27,302,000	$ 25,112,000
Accretion	654,000	573,000	1,290,000	1,138,000
Addition and changes in estimates				18,000
Settlements	5,000	7,000	35,000	13,000
Asset retirement obligation - June 30	28,557,000	26,255,000	28,557,000	26,255,000
Reclamation and Mine Closure (Textuals) [Abstract]
Accrued reclamation liabilities	1,200,000		1,200,000			1,800,000
Deposite in Trust					$ 700,000
Termination of Trust Conditions					365 Years from the initial date of this agreement or the expiration of the longest period applicable to the assets of the Trust under the rule against perpetuities of the situs of the Trust

- Definition

Amount of accretion expense recognized in the income statement during the period that is associated with asset retirement obligations. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability. Such accretion expense representing changes in the liability for an asset retirement obligation due to passage of time is the result of applying an interest method of allocation to the amount of the liability at the beginning of the period. The interest rate used to measure that change shall be the credit-adjusted risk-free rate that existed when the liability, or portion thereof, was initially measured. That amount shall be recognized as an increase in the carrying amount of the liability and as an expense classified as an operating item in the statement of income. Accretion expense shall not be considered to be interest cost for purposes of capitalization of interest.

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