Shattering a Powerful Addiction It is no secret mining gave rise to Butte, Montana by instilling a future which today can neither be overturned nor overlooked. Butte today is a grand representation of the history that lies beneath its earth, a true trophy to those who fought to keep the city alive. With insurmountable loss and sacrifices as a result of mining, those familiar with Butte cannot help but wonder what great potential this city missed out on. Butte mining has caused extensive and prolonged damage to the environment as well as to its current residents’ health. This damage shows that no viable solution has been established to mitigate the issues at hand and permits us to ask if the benefits of mining were worth the outcome.
Mining undoubtedly made Butte the city it is today, transforming it from an undeveloped camp to a prosperous mining city. The boom provided Butte with a stable source of jobs, not only in mining but also in the community in businesses such as saloons, brothels, and banks. Lower classes of the community were finally offered what appeared to be a stable source of income and long term job security. The need for a stable economy had finally become reality for this town, in turn making Butte an apex of the …show more content…
Although stipulations were set, the companies felt no need to have their laborers comply with them, thus setting up a battle between the industry and EPA workers. With neither party backing down, multiple court hearings took place over an extensive period of time. This would ultimately allow the mining companies the time they needed to squeeze every last bit of profit from the ground, leaving behind damaging tailings and dangerous chemicals in their wake. Open-pit mining would at last be put in Buttes’ past, ending the lucrative mining trade and leaving the town in a state of