State gold mining regulators this week will consider reclamation bonds for two open-pit operations neighboring the Terry Peak Ski Area near Lead.
Goldcorp of Canada owns both the Golden Reward and Wharf Resources mines. The state licensed the Golden Reward operation in 1988; it ceased mining in June 1996 and closed in 2001. Operators have since removed rock crushing equipment and reclaimed the site and are asking the state Board of Minerals and Environment to approve the post-closure plan and release the company from reclamation liability.
Wharf is the state's last large-scale gold mine. Licensed in 1983, it employs 130 full-time workers and has outlived its original life expectancy by finding additional mineable gold - made possible by record world gold prices - in the historic Bald Mountain mining district.
The company says mining in the Trojan and Deep Portland pits has about run its course and expects the operation to end in 2010.
The board will consider raising the reclamation surety on four of the mine's permits.
The hearings will be held Thursday, Jan. 15, at Matthew Environmental Education and Training Center in Pierre, starting at 10:30 a.m. CST.
