Butte, Montana Cashing in on Toxic Water Pit

Turning lemons into tourist lemonade, the Chamber of Commerce in this mining city is charging admission to see one of America’s largest bodies of toxic water. And people are paying.

"Some people see contaminated water," said chamber executive Marko Lucich. "I see wealth."

The chamber launched a trial run last summer, charging visitors $1 to gaze at the Berkeley Pit and its placid, gray water. There were enough people willing to pay that officials decided to charge again this year — doubling the price to $2.

Gwenda Buckmaster of Rapid City, S.D., viewed the pit last summer, the $1 admission folded into the price of a guided bus tour.

"The first time I drove through Butte I thought, "This is a terrible place,’" she said. "But once you start to understand it, it’s fascinating. All that mining history."

By SUSAN GALLAGHER, Associated Press Writer

Full Story: http://www.dispatch.com/national-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/31/20060331-A9-01.html

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Ka-ching! Chamber of Commerce cashes in on Berkeley Pit tourism

By Susan Gallagher – 03/31/2006

Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce director Marko Lucich poses Tuesday on the chamber-run viewing platform overlooking the Berkeley Pit, one of America’s largest bodies of toxic water, in Butte. The Chamber of Commerce in the Mining City is charging admission to see the Berkeley Pit and its placid, gray water, and people are paying.
BUTTE — Turning lemons into tourist lemonade, the Chamber of Commerce in this mining city is charging admission to see one of America’s largest bodies of toxic water. And people are paying.

‘‘Some people see contaminated water,’’ said chamber executive Marko Lucich. ‘‘I see wealth.’’

The chamber launched a trial run last summer, charging visitors $1 to gaze at the Berkeley Pit and its placid, gray water. There were enough people willing to pay that officials decided to charge again this year — doubling the price to $2.

Full Story: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2006/03/31/newsbutte/hjjdjggijjeajb.txt