Zeev,
I have always assumed an agressive acid leach for the head ore and acid dissolution of the smelted product.
Perhaps a "solar still" would work for the effluent if they do not like my evaporation pond.
I see no need for closed loop system. They are just not that toxic in their operations. Perhaps I am a little behind the times environmentally. If you want to see real pollution, just go to your nearest junkyard. Battery acid seeping into the ground, old refrigerators leaking Freon, petroleum seeping into the groundwater, old transformers seeping PCB, burning copper wire to remove the insulation, etc. Where are the inspectors--your guess is as good as mine.
As for the evaporation pond, they could let it concentrate, then suck it up before it totally dries and ship it off to a certified processor. Less labor intensive.
I am an environmentally sensitive person. I do not even use pesticides in my garden. The bugs have a ball, but I get my share too, and I have no compunction about squashing the little or not so little buggers. I did a job on the tomato hornworms by handpicking them then stomping. Then the grasshoppers took over. I am working on a vacuum system to collect them and provide them to the catfish in the pond. Recycled grasshoppers.
Price action today seems to me a low volume slide as we had in the past. I am not saying that we will not hit your magic $.25, but that depends on the company. How well and how quickly they resolve the present issues and how much and how quickly they can or cannot get on with production and the extend of that and the announcement of receipts (significant) will be the determining factors.
I am predicting that the Greenspan announcements will come to fruition and we will have a really in the equities to the detriment of gold and gold mining for a short while. That rally will be short lived in my estimation as the reality of the global situation overtakes the markets. Earnings dissappointment will be the next news. Longer term, gold is good, but we may have to wait a while here.
Dollar--certainly under pressure and perhaps under more when the Euro comes on line. The Euro is (partially gold backed). Certainly, an interest rate cut would be good here for the us and global markets, but it is a two edged sword. It could lead to troubles financing our tremendous debt. The economy in Europa is improving, at least the last time I looked (things can change quickly in this world). Given a good economy, an new gold backed currency and fiscal restraint, I think that money will flow in their direction and to our detriment. I leave it to you to determine the result of that. Greenspan his his work cut out for sure.
Nottaeconomist, just "Scared, Jack" |
