Feb 28, 2019

Richest Hill podcast explores Butte history

UM podcast launches March 5

MISSOULA – Montana Public Radio’s new podcast, “Richest Hill,” launches on Tuesday, March 5.

butte montana history, montana living, billy yunck photo, UM Journalism podcast

Nora Saks/Montana Public Radio, butte podcast um school of journalism, montana living

'Richest Hill' producer Nora Saks at the Berkeley Pit in Butte. A Vortex Ring Avian Deterrent (VRAD) is visible in the background. The VRAD shoots out a blast of air at 200 mph to deter birds from landing in the toxic Berkeley Pit.

Montana Resources currently mines copper and molybdenum in Butte at the Continental Pit, seen here snowcovered, from a plane. Photo: Nora Saks/Montana Public Radio

It’s a single-season series exploring the past, present and future of one of America's biggest and most notorious Superfund sites in Butte, Montana.
“For 35 years, Butte has been riding a bumpy roller coaster with Superfund,” said “Richest Hill” host and producer Nora Saks. “When I discovered that Butte was heading toward a major Superfund cleanup deal, I wanted to learn more about the history, science and political forces at play, and even more importantly the real people who will be affected by these lasting decisions.”

Saks, a University of Montana School of Journalism graduate, is a reporter for Montana Public Radio and has covered Superfund issues in Butte for the past two years.
“Nora has gathered some amazing tape from all kinds of people in Butte – from the politically powerful to some of the last underground miners still around, and everyone in between,” said MTPR News Director Eric Whitney. “We can’t wait to share all these great stories.”
“Richest Hill” will explore the biggest changes and toughest questions facing the Mining City. It’ll look at where Butte came from, what’s happening right now and where Butte might be headed.
The first episode will be available online and via podcast March 5. The series also will air on MTPR later this spring.
Listeners can tune in at https://buttepodcast.org/ or http://www.mtpr.org/programs/richest-hill and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
For more information visit https://buttepodcast.org/, http://www.mtpr.org/programs/richest-hill, or http://bit.ly/2XBHfpM