Fall 2004 Berkeley Pit Myth Versus Fact PitWatch Issue Volume 9, Number 2 The community has many common misconceptions about the Berkeley Pit. This section addresses a few of those most often heard false statements. Myth Migratory waterfowl are instantly killed if they land on water in the Berkeley Pit. Fact Hundreds of waterfowl land on the surface of the Berkeley Pit every month during the migration season, and they fly off within a few hours, either on their own or through MR's hazing activities. The Consent Decree recognizes that "birds exposed to Berkeley Pit water for less than 4-6 hours should not be at substantial risk." If a bird is observed suffering from the effects of water toxicity it is netted and brought on board the houseboat used to patrol the Berkeley Pit. The bird is placed in a 5-gallon bucket of fresh water and brought to shore. It is then transported to a veterinarian or released into fresh water at the north end of Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond. Migratory Bird Protection Plan Working During the spring and fall migration seasons, Montana Resources staff make hourly checks for birds from this observation station near the southeast rim of the Berkeley Pit. In November 1995, a flock of snow geese landed on the Berkeley Pit. After several days of stormy weather and fog, the birds were found dead. In response to this incident, Montana Resources (MR) and BP-Atlantic Richfield implemented a waterfowl mitigation plan, which was approved, by the EPA and other agencies in May 1998. This program is aimed at locating waterfowl in the area and then hazing the birds to fly away. An observation station has been set up at overlooking the pit area. This station is an enclosed building equipped with spotting scopes and spotlights (for night viewing) to locate, count and identify species of waterfowl landing on the water. MR personnel make hourly observations during the spring and fall migrations, while the pit is not frozen, and cut back to 5-6 observations per day during the non-migratory season. A variety of devices are used to haze birds off the water and out of the pit. From the observation station, MR personnel use rifles and shotguns to scare birds into the air. In addition, three Phoenix Wailers - high-tech devices that emit predator and electronic sounds - are located near the surface of the pit water to discourage birds from landing. Also, a 22-foot houseboat, docked near the pump barge, is used for periodic excursions on the water to haze waterfowl that ignore the other warnings. Not all types of birds react to hazing. Usually, most ducks, geese and swans will react immediately to the noises. Diver birds, like grebes and loons, tend to go under water as their natural defense when they are alarmed. Normally, if the birds are not hazed or disturbed, they will leave the Pit area come nightfall. The Pit Watch staff was recently invited to accompany MR staff on a three-hour tour around the Pit. There was no need for bird rescue or recovery on this trip, which is normal. If a dead bird is found on the water or near the Pit, then US Fish and Wildlife Service is contacted. They make the decision about whether or not they will do an autopsy. Seventy-Five birds have been found dead since 1995, and only one of them in the past two years. In conclusion, significant advances have been made to deter migrating waterfowl from landing on the water or staying on the Pit. Thousands of birds land and are hazed off of the Pit each year. Many local authorities have decided that the 1995 incident was isolated and is not likely to happen again with the safeguards that are in place. Spring 2004 PitWatch Issue Volume 9, Number 1 Berkeley Pit Myth Versus Fact The community has many common misconceptions about the Berkeley Pit. This section will address a few of those most often heard false statements and try to set the record straight. Myth The Pit Will Overflow. Fact There are two reasons why the Pit will never overflow. First, the 1994 Record of Decision and 2002 Consent Decree established the maximum level that the water will be allowed to reach to make sure the Berkeley Pit is lowest point in the cone of depression (see center graphic). Wells to monitor water levels have been set up. Failure to keep the water below the 5410' elevation would result in steep fines for BP/Atlantic Richfield and Montana Resources. Second, the Horseshoe Bend Water Treatment Plant is already in-place and operating. It has the capacity (7 Million Gallons per Day) to treat water from the Berkeley Pit, when it becomes necessary. This will ensure the water level remains below 5,410'. Myth The Horseshoe Bend Water Treatment Plant will empty the Berkeley Pit. Fact In the 1994 Record of Decision, the agencies decided that it would be unfeasible for the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP's) to ever completely empty the Berkeley Pit. The remedy selected for the Berkeley Pit is to treat all water inflows to maintain the level below 5,410' above sea level. Myth Congress is cutting the national Superfund program and the operation of the Horseshoe Bend Water treatment Plant will be discontinued. Fact The 'Butte Mine Flooding Superfund Site' is the responsibility of BP/Atlantic Richfield and Montana Resources. Thus, the plant will not be affected by any changes to the EPA's Superfund Program. The legally binding Consent Decree, which was signed by the responsible parties in 2002, established the financial commitment to operate and maintain the water treatment plant in perpetuity. Is Montana Resources Mining the Berkeley Pit? Yes. The company is using the waters of the Berkeley Pit for copper recovery, and it is using all water discharged from the new Horseshoe Bend treatment plant in concentrator operations. The HSB WTP discharge water that is being used for milling is completely separate from the copper precipitation process. The sizable waterfall flowing down the Berkeley Pit's northeast side is Berkeley water returning to the pit after having gone through the precipitation plant to shed some copper. Thirteen million gallons of water a day are being pumped from the Berkeley to the precipitation plant. The pit water comes from the far west side by the boat dock, and it's pumped all the way up and around the south and east sides of the pit to the plant. The "Precip Plant" is a low-tech operation where water flows through piles of scrap iron and a chemical reaction causes copper to drop out and more iron to join the water. The company's goal is to retrieve 400,000 pounds of copper a month from the water. The pumping started in February. Meet Our 2004 science fair winners The Committee awarded $50 savings bonds to four grade-school students and a $250 bond to one high school student who competed in the 2003 Montana Tech Science and Engineering Fair. Each of their Fair projects explored important topics related to the Berkeley Pit and mine waste cleanup technologies. The Committee will offer awards again at the 2005 Science Fair, and students are encouraged to choose projects related to the Pit and mine waste cleanup for that competition.   Cassie Heikkinen 5th grade, Ramsay "Extracting Copper"   Randi Phelps 6th grade, Whittier Elementary "Is There a New Antibiotic Lurking in the Berkeley Pit?"   No 7th grade project related to the Berkeley Pit. Good luck to next year's 7th graders!   Laura Notess 8th grade, Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman "Copper in the Water? Recruit the Bacteria"   Will Pascoe 11th grade, Butte High School "Tolerance that a Boatman Can Tolerate"