 Anaconda halted production in 1980, and mining ceased completely in 1982 when the deep pumps keeping the mine drained were shut off, allowing the Berkeley Pit to fill.What remains is a massive Superfund site, with CERCLA liability for British Petroleum, who bought out ARCO.Anaconda Copper Mining Company was started in 1881 when Marcus Daly bought a small silver mine called Anaconda near Butte, Montana.