Reclaiming minelands with organics
Vast areas of land in the United States lie stripped of soil and productivity due to surface mining. A wealth of organic materials is produced that could help restore these sites to green pastures. Many reclamation experts have been successful in switching from chemical fertilizing techniques to the use of sludge and compost. Ohio is scarred with 180,000 to 200,000 acres of abandoned surface mines, more than most states. The mines are concentrated in the Appalachian sections, near West Virginia and Pennsylvania. [open quotes]Some townships and countries are so bad that you would think you are on the surface of the moon,[close quotes] says Jeff MacDonald, administrator of Ohio's abandoned mineland reclamation program. [open quotes]My goal is to turn an inhospitable, nonviable ecosystem into a viable one.[close quotes] MacDonald believes that chemical fertilization, still predominant nationwide, does not do as good a job as sludge or compost in restoring an ecosystem. [open quotes]If you want to reclaim a site once, get the best success ratio and the best longevity, I'd say organic material is essential,[close quotes] he says. Organic matter adds microbes and long lasting nutrients - important because plants must establish themselves for five to seven years to stop acid runoff. [open quotes]At that point, the site is no longer a threat to the environment,[close quotes] he adds.
- OSTI ID:
- 6732340
- Journal Information:
- BioCycle; (United States), Vol. 33:9; ISSN 0276-5055
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COAL
SURFACE MINING
COAL MINES
LAND RECLAMATION
ORGANIC MATTER
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SOILS
REMEDIAL ACTION
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATERIALS
MATTER
MINES
MINING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
012020 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Surface Mining- (1987-)