Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 91 try undoubtedly built the modern state of Montana and its cities, bringing diverse people, wealth, business, and architecture to this then-remote part of the nation. But the industry has its dark side, and while it is easy to overlook the unpleasant real- ities in the beauty of Montana, the toxic remnants of Montana's mining heyday still lurk beneath the pristine landscape. As we appreciate Montana's great out- doors and rich history as a mining state, understanding the full and continuing consequences of that history serve as a cautionary tale that mining (and other industry) can have a very real human cost. That cost, in either case, was all too frequently borne by those who couldn't afford the price. It was the families and loved ones who suffered most when a miner fell, not the companies for whom the man was a semi-precious but ulti- mately expendable worker. After all, the Anaconda Corporation could always hire another miner, but the roles of father, brother, husband, and son were not so easily filled. By the 1970s and 1980s, the hills around Butte would barely grow grass. Nor was Butte alone. The mining industry's tailings could be found in many Montana com- munities, whether in contaminated soil unsuitable for growing, residential areas without access to safe drinking water, or the asbestos-ridden residue in Libby. And when, after decades of an often cavalier approach to the environment, the Anacon- da Corporation finally met its demise— leaving the smokestack to loom over a mountain of black slag and the Berkeley Pit to fill with poisonous water - it was once again the land and the people proud to call it home who were left to deal with the consequences. But progress has been made. In June of last year, the city of Butte reached a $150 million settlement with Atlantic Richfield to fund further cleanup. In Anaconda, the $10 million Forge Hotel was paid for with $3 million paid out by Atlantic Richfield. An additional $2 million went to upgrade the Old Works golf course, and the city of Anaconda will receive $1 million a year for the next 25 years. In Libby, meanwhile, cleanup of the vermiculite mine is nearly complete, with some areas actually stripped of their Superfund status. Montanans know that mining is an inextricable part of the state's history, present, and potentially future. Mining made Butte, and Butte's copper, in turn, made America; the people of Butte remain fiercely proud of the city's mining roots even as they exude optimism that Butte's best days may still lie ahead. If that future does include mining, it must be done with an eye toward the failures of the past and the necessity for a safe and healthy tomorrow. MONTANANS KNOW THAT MINING IS AN INEXTRICABLE PART OF THE STATE'S HISTORY, PRESENT, AND POTENTIALLY FUTURE.

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