Phytostabilization of Acid Metalliferous Mine Tailings at the Keating Site in Montana

Abstract

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

Edaphic Conditions, Aboveground Carbon Stocks and Plant Diversity on Nickel Mine Tailings Dump Vegetated with Senegalia polyacantha (Willd.) Seigler & Ebinger

“…In 2003, the mining industry produced 18 billion cubic metres of waste worldwide, and the quantity was projected to double after 20 to 30 years because of mining of lower grade ore (Aswathanaryana, 2003). The effect of mine dumps on flora and fauna is twofold: deposition leads to complete burial and loss of biological diversity on site (Neuman et al, 2005;Shukla, Lal, & Ebinger, 2005;Young, 1988), and there are off-site effects because of transportation of pollutants (Winter & Redente, 2002;Conesa, Faz, & Arnaldos, 2007a;Mendez & Maier, 2008). Specifically, mine dumps cause deterioration of aesthetics, reduction in land productivity, changes in topography, destruction of habitats and increased wind and water erosion and air, soil and water pollution (Martín-Moreno et al, 2016;Mukhopadhyay et al, 2013;Tizado & Núñez-Pérez, 2014).…”

Using Plant Tissue Culture to Develop Plants With Acid Soil, Heavy Metal Tolerance (Ahmt), Potentially Useful for Hard-Rock Mine Land Reclamation

“…Establishing native vegetation on acid mine lands will reduce wind and water erosion and decrease contaminant leaching into sub-surface waters. Successful revegetation has been accomplished at great expense by extensive amendment of the degraded soils with lime and organic materials, or by use of cover-soils (Dollhopf et al, 1998;Jennings and Neuman, 2006, Massey, 2006, Massey and Thompson, 2006, Munshower et al, 2003, Neuman et al, 2005, Prodgers, 2003, Prodgers, 2006. However, for the most part, plant cover and species diversity remains low on many sites even though some revegetation efforts (e.g.…”

“…There is a need for locally-adapted native plants which are tolerant of very low soil pH and elevated heavy metal concentrations to revegetate these acid mine lands in the Rocky Mountain west ( Jennings and Neuman, 2006;Neuman et al, 2005). Large numbers of acid and heavy metal tolerant (AHMT) plants are necessary because of the immense area of acid mine land that needs to be reclaimed.…”