Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,376,701	$ 5,427
Certificates of deposit (Note 4)	242,800	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,031 and $7,600, respectively	491,735	1,438,564
Inventories	1,454,633	1,066,813
Other current assets	57,659	56,208
Deferred tax asset	470,869	396,558
Total current assets	5,094,397	2,963,570
Properties, plants and equipment, net	8,342,025	6,047,004
Restricted cash for reclamation bonds	74,782	74,777
Other assets	155,036	54,766
Total assets	13,666,240	9,140,117
Current liabilities:
Checks issued and payable	0	113,908
Deferred revenue	31,668	43,760
Accounts payable	970,845	994,940
Due to factor	240,446	146,589
Accrued payroll, taxes and interest	93,105	141,928
Other accrued liabilities	32,434	119,292
Payables to related parties	13,382	331,978
Long-term debt, current	305,911	79,631
Total current liabilities	1,687,791	1,972,026
Long-term debt, noncurrent	136,993	158,218
Asset retirement and accrued reclamation costs	247,530	241,500
Total liabilities	2,072,314	2,371,744
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock $0.01 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized: Series A: no shares issued and outstanding	0	0
Series B: 750,000 shares issued and outstanding (liquidation preference $877,500)	7,500	7,500
Series C: 177,904 shares issued and outstanding (liquidation preference $97,847)	1,779	1,779
Series D: 1,751,005 shares issued and outstanding (liquidation preference and cumulative dividends of $4,714,433)	17,509	17,509
Common stock, $0.01 par vaue, 90,000,000 shares authorized; 61,786,822 and 59,349,300 shares issued and outstanding, respectively	617,868	593,492
Additional paid-in capital	30,723,895	25,635,129
Accumulated deficit	(19,774,625)	(19,487,036)
Total stockholders' equity	11,593,926	6,768,373
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 13,666,240	$ 9,140,117