Abstract. Many land reclamation technologies have been used on mining-impacted lands within the Clark Fork River Basin Superfund sites over the past 20 years. Several sites are examples of in-situ reclamation or phytostabilization. Since phytostabilization does not remove metal contaminants, the permanence of this technology as a remedial alternative has received significant scrutiny. Many of these projects have had limited long term monitoring, and as such, the permanence of these efforts is undocumented. However, the continued existence of these sites provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the permanence of in-situ treatment strategies. The purpose of this investigation was to generate sufficient data and information from areas receiving phytostabilization treatments, varying in age from 6 to 19 years, so that the permanence and self-sufficiency of the established and reconstructed ecosystem(s) can be assessed. Six different field sites were selected that represent phytostabilization implementation in different landscape positions, using slightly different equipment, and at different times. The sites are similar in that each was degraded because of impacts from the metal mine/mill/smelter processes. Soils or tailings at the sites contain acid producing materials and are elevated in metal concentrations compared to adjacent, non-impacted landscapes. At each site, neutralizing amendments were added to raise the soil or waste pH to a target level of seven, and at some sites, other amendments were also added. Vegetation response variables observed or measured at the six sites included cover, species richness, evidence of reproduction, evidence of nutrient cycling, evidence of succession, and biomass. Soil response variables measured included pH, acid buffering capacity, and metal concentrations. This paper will present these data and discuss the efficacy of phytostabilization in terms of the sites' ability to sustain current land use and their ability to support other possible land uses. The permanence of the amendments to perform their function of attenuating acid production and immobilization of metals will also be addressed. Additional
Abstract. The Keating Tailings site is located in Broadwater County, Montana on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. These low pH (4 standard units) wastes resulting from historic gold and copper mining operations contain phytotoxic levels of several metals and are generally devoid of vegetation.With an estimated volume of 110,100 m 3 , these tailings represent unacceptable risk to the environment and human health. The objective of conducting a phytostabilization study at the Keating Tailings Site was to provide BLM managers and decision makers with site specific information and data relating to the implementation, and effectiveness of phytostabilization so that it may be applied to other similar acid metalliferous mine tailings sites administered by the Bureau. To achieve this management objective, replicated experimental plots were implemented using soil amendments, lime and organic matter, designed to ameliorate the plant inhibiting chemical characteristics of the tailings. The plots were seeded with a mix of indigenous native plant species. Vegetation performance of plants grown in the amended or phytostabilized tailings was compared to results for plants seeded into tailings that were not amended, and performance of plants seeded in an adjacent off-site, but non-impacted area. Response variables evaluated in the first growing season, 2004, included emergence and establishment, density, and canopy cover. Concentrations of metals in vegetation were evaluated in terms of plant sufficiency/excess, and in terms of maximum allowable dietary levels for cattle. Changes in soil rootzone pH, conductivity, and soluble metal concentrations before and after treatment were also determined.Additional
Our objective for this project was to determine if we could find, collect, and tissue culture local native plants which grow directly on acid, heavy metal contaminated (AHM) soil. These plants are potentially useful for mine land reclamation and may possess acid soil, heavy metal tolerance. Explants (small actively growing plant tissue segments) were collected from fifteen plant species growing directly on degraded sites heavily impacted from past hard rock mining activities in Western Montana. These plants, when collected were rooted, surviving and growing in soils characterized by very low soil pH (about 4.0) and high concentrations of various heavy metals. Of the 15 species collected, six were successfully propagated using plant tissue culture, also known as micropropagation. We concentrated on three of the six species and have attained commercial rates of multiplication and rooting in-vitro. These three species have been successfully acclimated and grown under commercial greenhouse conditions. Results comparing our potentially AHMT tissue cultured plants to non-selected plants of the same species (raised from seed) in test soils under greenhouse conditions will be presented. Future plans for field tests will be described and discussed.
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