BUTTE — An environmental activist who dedicated his life to fighting for Butte's cleanup from historic mine waste has died, leaving behind a legacy of advocacy that inspired fellow activists and community members.
Fritz Daily passed away on Jan. 28 in Butte. He was 80 years-old. He spent decades battling for environmental justice in the Mining City, first as a legislator. He then became known for his unwavering commitment to holding polluters accountable and ensuring proper cleanup of contaminated areas.
WATCH: Remembering Fritz Daily, who dedicated his life to environmental justice in Butte
"The only thing worse than bad guys doing bad things is good guys who sit by and don't say anything and let it happen," Daily said, words that epitomized his approach to activism, according to fellow environmental advocate Erik Nyland.
Daily's impact can be seen throughout Butte, where he was instrumental in several major environmental victories. One of his most significant achievements was helping win a lawsuit that designated Silver Bow Creek as a waterway, a classification that requires the state to maintain and remediate the waterway.
"It's battles like that that Fritz was always front and center in," Nyland said.
Sister Mary Jo McDonald, who worked alongside Daily since the 1990s, first collaborated with him and others on a class action lawsuit against Dennis Washington, the owner of Montana Resources. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement that led to the creation of Butte's community water company.
"We designed the settlement, and Butte now owns its own water company, and we won the water rights Dennis Washington had to Silver Lake, Storm Lake, and Twin Lakes," McDonald said.
However, being an outspoken environmental advocate in Butte came with challenges. The mining community's culture often made it difficult for activists to speak up about contamination issues.
"The culture of Butte has long been, you know, going back to even the company days...Fritz would point out frequently that there's an effort to kill the messenger, and it's lonely to be the one who speaks up," Nyland said.
Last fall, Daily spoke with MTN News about the ongoing issue of lead cleanup in the community, emphasizing the health risks facing residents.
"We all know that lead in children's bloodstreams is not safe. We all know that the arsenic levels in this community are way higher than they need to be, and we need the state, and we need the Superfund people to deal with those, and make sure that our children are living in a safe and healthy community," Daily said in September 2025.
Daily's advocacy extended to every Superfund meeting, where he consistently delivered the same message that McDonald continues to carry forward.
"We want to see the cleanup done properly and done right for the citizens of Butte," McDonald said.
Nyland said Daily's example showed the importance of speaking up for what's right.
"Fritz was the guy who showed us that it's important. Somebody has to speak up," Nyland said.
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