U.S. REPORT Placer closing mercury mine

Operations at the McDermott mercury mine in Nevada of Placer Dome U.S., a unit of Placer Dome (TSE), will be suspended by the end of November, the company says. Placer has a 51% interest in the operation, the only primary mercury mine in the U.S. Production in 1989 totalled 12,000 flasks. The company said a declining demand for the mineral is the reason for the suspension.

The McDermott mine was last closed in 1987. The mine resumed operations 13 months later in March, 1988.