BUTTE — An attempt to launch a remote-controlled boat to test toxic water in a former Montana open-pit mine where thousands of snow geese died last fall has failed.
The Montana Standard reports the boat to sample the Berkeley Pit water in Butte was built by Montana Tech student Abdullah Alangari. Montana Resources and Atlantic Richfield Co. donated $50,000 last year to support the effort.
A Montana Tech team helped prepare the boat to go out on the water Wednesday but the launch failed due to mechanical errors with the remote-controlled devices.
The team will work to fix the problem for a second launch attempt.
The Environmental Protection Agency requires the water be sampled twice a year under an agreement reached over the Berkeley Pit cleanup.
Last November, between 3,000 and 4,000 migrating snow geese died after landing in the pit.