Ecological engineering alternatives for remediation and restoration of a drastically disturbed landscape
As part of a Fall 1998 Environmental Science graduate seminar in Ecological Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, students were asked to submit a proposal for the holistic and sustainable restoration of the Tar Creek Superfund Site, Ottawa county, Oklahoma. the Tar Creek site is a portion of an abandoned lead and zinc mining area known as the Tri-State Mining District (OL, KS and MO) and includes approximately 104 square kilometers of disturbed land surface and contaminated water resources in extreme northeastern Oklahoma. Approximately 94 million cubic meters of contaminated water currently exist in the underground voids. In 1979, acidic, metal-rich waters began to discharge into Tar Creek from natural springs, bore holes and mine shafts. In addition, approximately 37 million cubic meters of processed mine waste materials (chat) litter their surface in large piles. Approximately 324 hectares of contaminated tailings settling ponds also exist on site. Student submitted proposals addressed the following four subject areas: passive treatment options for stream water quality improvement, surface reclamation and revegetation, stream habitat restoration and joint ecological and economic sustainability. Proposed designs for passive treatment of the contaminated mine drainage included unique constructed wetland designs that relief on a combination of biological and geochemical processes, use of microbial mats for luxury metal uptake, enhanced iron oxidation via windmill-based aeration and fly ash injection. proposed surface reclamation methods included minimal regrading following by biosolid, ash and other organic amendment applications and several phytoremediation techniques, especially the use of hyperaccumulators. The stream and riparian restoration portion of the proposals focused on chat removal, phytoremediation and species reintroduction. proposed joint ecological and economic sustainability ventures included development of recreational facilities, mining-based tourism and an Ecotechnology Research Park.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20026855
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 16th annual national meeting of the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation, Scottsdale, AZ (US), 08/13/1999--08/19/1999; Other Information: PBD: [1999]; Related Information: In: Mining and reclamation for the next millennium. Proceedings of the 16th annual national meeting of the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation, by Bengson, S.A.; Bland, D.M. [eds.], 745 pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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