CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 4,457	$ 118,058
Accounts receivable	209,771	345,382
Inventories	2,947,463	3,763,892
Prepaid expenses and other assets	151,601	159,986
Total Current Assets	3,313,292	4,387,318
Property and Equipment, at cost:
Property and equipment	50,563,597	50,518,198
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	(6,631,012)	(6,313,728)
Net Property and Equipment	43,932,585	44,204,470
Other Assets:
Deposits	146,079	146,079
Restricted marketable securities	686,476	686,476
Debt issuance costs, net of accumulated amortization	117,179	368,684
Stockpiles and ore on leach pads	4,634,094	6,347,012
Total Other Assets	5,583,828	7,548,251
Total Assets	52,829,705	56,140,039
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	4,549,839	4,163,041
Accrued expenses	1,721,000	1,316,074
Accrued interest	7,584,055	4,933,337
Copper derivatives settlement payable	16,106,691	16,106,691
Current maturity of long-term debt	6,183,499	6,190,999
Current maturities of senior long-term debt	23,257,826	21,481,183
Current maturities of derivative contracts, at fair value	0	54,896
Senior long-term debt accelerated due to default	0	1,776,643
Other current liabilities	220,758	147,634
Total Current Liabilities	59,623,668	56,170,498
Long-Term Liabilities:
Deferred revenue, less current portion	4,637,059	4,646,868
Accrued reclamation costs	3,496,523	3,195,497
Other long-term liabilities	6,135	14,635
Total Long-Term Liabilities	8,139,717	7,857,000
Total Liabilities	67,763,385	64,027,498
Stockholders' Deficit:
Common stock: $.01 par value, 400,000,000 shares authorized, 112,488,604 and 112,177,627 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	1,124,887	1,121,777
Additional paid-in-capital	122,271,483	122,133,246
Accumulated deficit	(138,330,050)	(131,142,482)
Total Stockholders' Deficit	(14,933,680)	(7,887,459)
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Deficit	$ 52,829,705	$ 56,140,039