Revegetation and Minesoil Development of Coal Refuse Amended with Sewage Sludge and Limestone

Abstract

A study was conducted at Peabody Coal Company's Will Scarlet Mine in southern Illinois to evaluate the effectiveness of deep incorporation of dried sewage sludge and/or limestone to ameliorate acid coal refuse (gob) for establishment and survival of three forage grasses. Dried sewage sludge and/or limestone were applied at 10 rates throughout the profile of trenches opened (30 or 60 cm) by a cable trencher. Subplots of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and redtop (Agrostis alba L.) were established in September 1980. Analysis of soil chemical and physical ~hanges over time indicated that organic matter applied in the sewage sludge decreased by 35070 2 yr after the plots were established, while the proportion of sand-size water-stable aggregates increased over the same period. The proportion of large pores increased in the high rate sewage sludge plots over that of lime-treated plots. Coal refuse pH increased from 2.7 in the unamended gob to 4.4 to 5.2 with all treatments but the two lower lime rates. All treatments maintained grass stands over 4 yr with the exception of the 225 Mg sludge ha -t plus 45 Mg limestone ha -1 mixture at 60 cm. Reed canarygrass invaded adjacent plots and was more persistent than the other grasses. Mean herbage yield of the grasses exceeded 4.0 Mg ha-' on all treatments. Tissue accumulation of heavy metals was not a problem. Tissue NO~ levels were considered toxic for ruminants the first 3 yr, but decreased significantly over time. Coal refuse disposal sites can be revegetated without the use of soil cover by application of sewage sludge or limestone. Additional Index Words: waste disposal, mine revegetation, Phalaris arundinacea, Festuca arundinacea, Agrostis alba. Joost, R.E., F.J. Olsen, and J.H. Jones. 1987. Revegetation and minesoil development of coal refuse amended with sewage sludge and limestone. J. Environ. Qual. 16:65-68.

Sewage sludge as an amendment for reclaimed colliery spoil

“…Studies on various types of spoil in different locations and under a range of climatic conditions have suggested that any application of sewage sludge will be beneficial to plant growth and soil conditions (6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15). When added to pyritic spoil in particular, it may inhibit the production of acid by pyrite oxidation.…”

Improving Soil Fertility to Support Grass–Legume Revegetation on Lignite Mine Spoils

“…Joost et al (1987) evaluated the effectiveness of deep incorporation of dried sewage sludge and limestone to ameliorate acid coal refuse for establishment and survival of three forage grasses (Phalaris arundinaceae, Festuca arundinaceae, and Agrostis alba) and also concluded that acidic coal refuse disposal sites can be vegetated without the use of soil cover by the application of organic amendments and limestone.…”

“…Moreover, they contribute toward the recovery of soil organic-matter levels as well Downloaded by [Istanbul Universitesi Kutuphane ve Dok] at 08:08 05 November 2014 as restoring ecosystem biodiversity and other environmental functions. Different grass and herbaceous legume species have been commonly used in revegetation studies (Brofas and Varelides 2000;Brofas et al 2007;Joost et al 1987;Olsen and Chong 1991;Pietz et al 1989;Russell and Roberts 1986;Waldron et al 2005).…”

Growth media alternatives for mine refuse cap and cover systems

“…They note that "Sewage sludge alone may not be sufficient in ameliorating the acidic conditions in the presence of an abundant supply of pyritic minerals". Joost et al (1987) report an increase of pH from 2.7 to 4.4-5.2 in coal refuse amended with dried sewage sludge and/or limestone. Following the application of municipal sludge and lime on a deep mine anthracite refuse bank, Seaker and Sopper (1983) record a pH increase from 3.7 to 5.4 in 4 years at 0-15cm depth.…”

“…Addressing the issues at the Royal Scot site will require the restoration of the growth layer. Shale can be difficult to revegetate because it has a low pH, high salt water content and a poor waterholding capacity (Daniels, Stewart, & Zipper, 1996;Joost, Olsen, & Jones, 1987;Li & Daniels, 1997). The three methods that show promise of restoring the growth layer (Figure 4) are the application of papermill sludge, sewage sludge and wood residue.…”