Wildcat Mining Corporation is wondering if it will find tellurium, a rare mineral, at its mines in southwest Colorado. The new managers of Wildcat Mining have filed a petition in La Plata County last week to re-open the gold and silver mines of the company near Hesperus.
The new management of Wildcat Mining has also sought the approval of state health officials, federal and state mining regulators and the US Forest Service besides the US Army Corps of Engineers to operate the mines in Idaho and Mayday.
The state had issued a cease and desist order to the mining company last year due to compliance problems. Wildcat Mining was required to submit an amendment to its permit. The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety expects to decide on the amendment April 11 as per the division director Loretta Pineda.
The rare mineral tellurium is used in manufacturing solar panels. Project manager George Robinson said that the new managers who replaced Mike Clements are now evaluating if it will be economically feasible to recover the mineral from the mines.
Mr Robinson said that acceptance of the community was important as the days of ‘we can do it because we own it are long gone’. He said that the company’s entire philosophy is to do it right but they needed a chance to do it.