RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Tennessee prospector is hoping to mine gold at an abandoned site in Goochland County.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1q9TwOT) that William Kilgore of Bristol, Tennessee, wants to re-mine the site of the abandoned Moss Mine near the Goochland-Fluvanna County line.
If the project is successful, the site would be Virginia’s only active gold mine. State officials say gold was last mined in Virginia in 1947.
Kilgore is calling it a “mine cleanup project,” rather than a mine. He plans to clean up contamination from past mining operations as he goes.
He notes that the project is only viable because there’s enough gold in the ground to pay for the cleanup and net him a profit.
Kilgore’s looking for investors to help cover estimated startup costs of $2 million.
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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com
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