OPEN-PIT GOLD MINES OUT OF FAVOR.

• Position: Brief Article

The sparkle of gold lured many a man to Colorado. But now the Citizens of the Centennial State may vote to outlaw open-pit gold mines if the Alliance for Responsible Mining gets enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot, and if the public votes for it. These huge pits, which can be seen from space, have spread across the West as the most cost-effective way to cull gold from the stone. But they use cyanide to dissolve and filter out the gold, which has resulted in environmental mishaps. Nearly a decade ago, releases of cyanide from the Summitville mine killed aquatic life in 17 miles of...