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Review:
The Berkeley Pit is a former open-pit copper mine measuring a mile long and half-a-mile wide and is over 1,700 feet deep. The open-pit is filled with 900 feet of highly acidic water that causes chemicals and heavy metals like arsenic and zinc to seep into the surrounding rocks. More than 290 million tons of copper ore has been extracted from the pit by 1980 and the richness of the minerals found earned Butte the nickname of being the ‘Richest Hill on Earth.’ Although an environmental hazard, the pit draws tourists to view its vast chasm which can be seen from a viewing platform high above the hole.
Butte, MT 59701
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