On September 29, 1980, the Anaconda Minerals Company, which had merged with the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) three years earlier, announced the indefinite suspension of copper smelting in Anaconda and refining in Great Falls, Montana. The company cited high production costs and increasing environmental restrictions as reasons for the closure. Following the closure announcement, the decision was made that the suspension of operations would be permanent and the smelter and refinery would be demolished.
A few years later, when the Washoe Smelter stack was threatened, a local "Anacondans to Preserve the Stack" group formed. The Big Stack remains intact largely through their efforts and determination to preserve the symbol of Anaconda's industrial legacy. Working with state and local officials, ARCO, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the group was instrumental in the stack's designation as an official state monument.
As the former site of the smelter complex is reclaimed, the landmark associated with the community for the past century will continue to stand tall. The smelter that for so long defined the community of Anaconda has passed into memory. The community that grew in its shadow remains.
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