berkeley pit

The Superfund program was created in 1980 and actually has a much more complex name: the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). All the most toxic sites in the country were basically put on a list, and hopes were high that somehow, some way, sometime - they'd get 'cleaned up'.

Fun fact: The Berkeley Pit has a pH higher than Coke.

Who would think? Apparently, tourists to Butte, Montana's Berkeley Pit give the Superfund "tourist attraction" a generous thumbs up with 4 out of 5 stars. Let's take a look at some of the reviews.

A former student at Montana Tech did a project involving the history of mining in Butte and the Berkeley Pit. It's a quick tutorial on the pit's background and how it became America's biggest Superfund Site.

The pit was opened in the mid fifties and was closed on Earth Day in 1982. This video shows the pit's "movement" since the closure.