Sacaton Pit, Arizona

The former Sacaton open pit copper mine was operated by ASARCO from 1972 until 1984. Now it is a nearly circular hole several hundred feet deep, surrounded by flat land, south of Phoenix. ASARCO was known as the American Smelting and Refining Company, and once operated mines and refineries all over the country and in Mexico, including a large and notorious smelter on the border in El Paso. It was founded in 1899 by William Rockefeller and others, and was soon taken over by the Guggenheim family. The company is based in Tucson, and operates the Mission, Silver Bell, and Ray mines in Arizona, and manages litigation for clean-up at dozens of its former or acquired locations around the USA. It is now owned by Grupo Mexico.