THE BERKELEY PIT: IN MONTANA

Located in Butte, Montana, the Berkeley Pit was once mined for its silver, gold and copper content. It was created from the combination of several other underground mines. It was utilized from the years 1955 to 1982. Mining was thriving during that time due to the increased demand for electricity of which copper was utilized. The water was so full of copper that it was able to be extracted by chemical precipitation (the copper would separate from the water). Copper extracted from the mine helped to give electricity to all of America. It thrived during 1955-1982 at which time it was closed due to its toxicity. At which time, the waterpumps that were used to keep the pit from filling with water have been turned off. Since then, nearby layers of rock and earth which allow for some flow of water to enter into the pit has caused great concern for the environment. Should the waters from the Berkely Pit seep into the surrounding waters, it could cause dangerous health hazards. Therefore, a diversion process was done to prevent the rising of the water at increased rates. It is a place full of toxic water.

DANGERS OF TOXICITY:

The water in the pit is nowhere near drinkable. It is full of metals and toxic chemicals such as arsenic, sulfuric acid and more. On the surface level, where iron concentration is highest, the water appears reddish in color. Below that, the combination of iron and copper (as the concentration of copper is greatest at lower levels) makes the water appear lime-green in color.

The water in the Berkeley Pit is waste water and will most definitely kill you if ingested. It will totally destroy your esophagus and your entire digestive system. The vapors will cause your eyes to burn and if the water comes in contact with your skin, it will dry up the skin to the extreme. It has been reported that over three hundred snow geese died there after weather conditions prevented the birds from leaving the area. Thus, the need to prevent the toxic waters from rising to dangerous levels is necessary for the thirty-thousand plus residents who abide there. There is now a twenty-four hour nature watch which has been put into effect to prevent birds from landing on the water. In the year 2003 (notice how recent), a plan was put into effect to, hopefully, prevent the water in the pit from reaching levels which could be a detriment to the people of Montana.

MIRACLES FOR CANCER IN TOXIC WATERS:

Researchers have found that new species of bacteria and fungi have evolved and adapted to the toxic waste water of the Berkeley Pit. Certain of these 'new species' have been isolated and found to have an activity that works against cancer cells. Researchers have found that these isolated organisms, when tested on human tissue, have attacked cancer cells in the ovaries and tumors of the lungs. These organisms are a type of 'Penicillium'; and so far have not been found to exist anywhere else on our planet Earth. Certain bacteria have also been found to slow the spread of HIV (in lab tests that is). Should further studies, trials and experimentations continue regarding these miraculous organisms from the dark, toxic pit, much funding is needed and many, many more tests need to be performed before any such thing as 'a medicine' will come from the Berkely Pit.

FOR NOW:

As of now, the Berkeley Pit contains thirty-seven billion gallons of toxic water. It is one mile long by one half mile wide and is one-thousand-sevenhundred-eighty feet deep. It is now a site for tourist attraction (yes, people pay to see it). The fee is minimal.

Go to http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth

A digital download for $8.45 entitled "Hedonic analysis of hazardous waste sites in the presence of their urban disamenities [An article from: Environmental Science and Policy] [HTML] (Digital),  is available through www.amazon.com Media Library NOTE: availability and download price may vary from time to time/without prior notice.