Smoke and Tailings

“The depth of Quivik’s research and his mastery of the technological, legal, financial, and political dimensions in Smoke and Tailings is simply unparalleled. He has left few, if any, stones unturned in his research, and the scope of the primary and secondary materials he cites is extraordinary. Quivik’s work epitomizes the term authoritative.” - Brian J. Leech, associate professor of history, Augustana College, author of The City That Ate Itself: Butte, Montana and Its Expanding Berkeley Pit “Smoke and Tailings is the most detailed accounting that exists of early battles over mining pollution in Butte and Anaconda, Montana. It is incredibly balanced, fairly recognizing the Anaconda Company’s attempts to lessen waste, even as the author shows how many of those changes targeted waste reduction for the sake of company profits. The book will be quickly recognized as a major contributor to the larger history of mining in the American West.” - Timothy J. LeCain, professor, Montana State University, author of The Matter of History: How Things Create the Past

Fredric L. Quivik serves as an expert industrial historian in environmental litigation, including Superfund litigation involving the extractive industries, especially mining. He worked for the US Department of Justice on the Clark Fork Superfund case in Montana, which lies at the heart of Smoke and Tailings. Other cases he has been involved with include the Bunker Hill Superfund case in the Coeur d’Alene mining district, the Libby Superfund case involving vermiculite and asbestos in Montana, the Midnite Mine Superfund case involving uranium in Washington, and the Deepwater Horizon case in the Gulf of Mexico. A long-time member of the Society for Industrial Archeology, Quivik has served as its president and as editor of its journal, IA. He retired in 2015 as professor of history from Michigan Technological University where he taught history of technology, environmental history, and industrial archeology. He lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.