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Nevada miners receive layoff notices

Monday, Dec. 10, 2001 | 9:54 a.m.

WINNEMUCCA -- Layoff notices went out on Friday to all 210 employees of Placer Dome Inc.'s Getchell Mine northeast of Winnemucca in Northern Nevada, General Manager Tim Baker said.

"We're telling all our employees that we're giving them two months' notice and if we have no alternative plans put together by Feb. 5 we will be implementing a layoff," Baker told the Elko Daily Free Press.

The mine had more than 600 employees when it was acquired by Placer Dome in 1999. About 200 were laid off shortly after the merger with Getchell Gold Corp.

Last year another 100 employees were eliminated when the project was scaled back to exploration and development only.

In October the company wrote off a $211 million loss at Getchell for the third quarter, foreshadowing today's announcement.

Baker said low gold prices were the main factor in the decision, not a lack of gold resources.

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