Statement of Stockholders Equity (USD $)	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Total
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2009	$ 1,104,356	$ 121,488,765	$ (99,620,778)	$ (13,068,959)	$ 9,903,384
Beginning Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2009					110,435,586
Net loss			(21,205,410)		(21,205,410)
Unrealized mark to market adjustment of cash flow hedges, net				(643,436)	(643,436)
Net realized losses from cash flow hedges				(2,087,730)	(2,087,730)
Effective portion of copper hedges transferred to net sales				1,886,237	1,886,237
Reclassification of copper hedges to other expense on de- designation of cash flow hedges				13,392,853	13,392,853
Reclassification of interest rate swap to miscellaneous expense on de- designation of cash flow hedges				319,542	319,542
Effective portion of interest rate swap transferred to interest expense				201,493	201,493
Compensation expense from issuance of stock options		134,422			134,422
Compensation expense from issuance of common stock	6,214	61,376			67,590
Compensation expense from issuance of common stock (Shares)	621,398
Comprehensive loss					(8,136,451)
Exercise of stock options	4,517	36,133			40,650
Exercise of stock options (Shares)					451,667
Common stock issued for deferred stock units	3,062	(3,062)
Common stock issued for deferred stock units (Shares)	306,201
Compensation expense from issuance of deferred stock units		117,500			117,500
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	1,118,149	121,835,134	(120,826,188)		2,127,095
Ending Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2010					111,814,852
Net loss			(10,316,294)		(10,316,294)
Common stock issued for settlement of accounts payable	824	10,714			11,538
Common stock issued for settlement of accounts payable (Shares)					82,418
Compensation expense from issuance of stock options		185,202			185,202
Comprehensive loss					(10,316,294)
Common stock issued for deferred stock units	2,804	(2,804)
Common stock issued for deferred stock units (Shares)					280,357
Compensation expense from issuance of deferred stock units		105,000			105,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	$ 1,121,777	$ 122,133,246	$ (131,142,482)		$ (7,887,459)
Ending Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2011					112,177,627