Paper Mill Waste May Be Just Right For Reclaiming Mineland

November 10, 2008

Paper mill waste can safely be applied at a rate three times higher than the typical rate in Ohio, to reclaim soils of surface-coal mined areas.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientist Martin J. Shipitalo found that a 300-ton-per-acre application rate had many benefits, and did not result in major additional negative effects on runoff water quality compared to the standard 100-ton-per-acre rate. Shipitalo is at the ARS North Appalachian Experimental Watershed in Coshocton, Ohio.

This is the first research project to determine the amount of paper mill sludge byproduct that can safely be applied to land without harming downstream water quality.

The project also involved the two Ohio agencies that must grant special approval for the 300-ton-per-acre rate: the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. And it involved representatives of the paper mill, mining and land reclamation industries.

Adding more paper mill waste can better reclaim mine soil without further harm to downstream water quality. (Credit: Photo courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey)

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