Current Research
Mine
Land Reforestation: Technologies for use by the mining industry for
restoring mined lands to forest have been developed through Powell River
Project research conducted by Jim Burger (Forestry) over the past 29 years. Recent
years have seen great progress in adoption of these technologies by the
industry, support for improved reforestation by mining agencies, and engagement
in reforestation research by other universities. All new surface mining permits
with forested post-mining land uses approved by Virginia in 2007 and 2008
propose to use improved reforestation methods that will restore native hardwood
forests on the reclaimed mine sites.
Stream
Restoration / Mine Hydrology: Over the past year, Appalachian coal
mining has been in the public eye, due to the impacts of large-scale mining in
Appalachian terrain. Public concerns are focused on the cumulative hydrologic
impacts of coal mining, as symbolized by the term “filling of
streams.” US EPA has, which historically has not been heavily involved
with coal mine regulation, has inserted itself into the controversy by
challenging mining permits that entail large amounts of stream filling. Powell
River Project has initiated new research in this area which will address stream
restoration methods being used on coal mined sites and hydrologic processes on
reclaimed coal mine sites. Research in this area is directly related to two
other Powell River Project research emphases: mine reforestation, as the
hydrologic restoration component of the work will address the effects of forest
land cover on surface hydrology; and total dissolved solids, as any hydrologic
restoration strategy to be used by the coal mines must, as a practical
necessity in the current regulatory environment, address factors that
contribute to elevated TDS concentrations in streams. Currently, research
personnel are seeking to engage additional partners in this important research
effort.
Total
Dissolved Solids in Streams: Elevated concentrations of Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS) in streams occur due to mining operations and are
becoming an environmental quality issue of concern in Virginia and to the US
EPA. In 2007-08, Powell River Project developed an innovative and proactive
research effort to determine how TDS in streams affects aquatic biota; the
research is led by Stephen Schoenholtz of Virginia Water Resources Research
Center (VWRRC), and is being conducted cooperatively with two co-sponsors:
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Department of Mines,
Minerals and Energy. The coal industry is also an important partner in this
research, and is providing access to field sites. Related research, led by Lee
Daniels (Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences – see below) and supported
directly by PRP, is addressing properties of mine spoils that contribute to
elevated TDS levels; this work will aid industry efforts reduce TDS-related
water quality impacts by mining operations.
Soil
Weathering Processes in Mine Spoils: This research is being conducted under
the leadership of Lee Daniels, Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences for the
purpose of determining how environmental processes affect the morphological,
physical, chemical and microbiological properties of soils forming from mine
overburden materials on reclaimed sites, and how those mine spoils materials
release total dissolved solids to ground and surface waters through the
weathering process.
Bioenergy: Increasing raw
material demands worldwide, new technologies for converting cellulosic
materials into liquid fuels, and climate-related concerns with fossil-fuel
carbon emissions all have the potential dramatically increase demands for
bioenergy feedstock products over coming decades. Soils on reclaimed mine areas
in central Appalachia can be highly productive when non-compacted and managed
for woody material production. These soils are deeper than native mountain
soils, rich in nutrient cations, often have favorable textures and pH, occur
over extensive areas, and generally have not been placed in economically valued
uses. This research will determine the potential of reclaimed mine areas to
support fast-growing woody crops; and to develop reclamation and management
strategies that will maximize those potentials. Early research results
demonstrate that hybrid poplar far outyields commonly used reclamation species
-- native hardwoods and eastern white pines – on reclaimed mine. This
result is not surprising, given that poplars (genus Populus) and their hybrids
are the fastest growing trees within the temperate zone and are widely considered
to be the premier woody perennial candidate for bioenergy feedstock production.
Thus, with involvement by Virginia Tech foresters A. Brunner and J. Munsell,
the research has been expanded to evaluate and compare 97 genotypic varieties
of hybrid poplar for production, agronomic, and wood-quality characteristics
when grown on reclaimed mine areas; and to compare the biomass production
capabilities of hybrid poplar to other fast-growing species that yield denser
biomass materials.
Wildlife:
Utilization
of Reclaimed Mined Lands: Dr. Dean Stauffer and his graduate student, Ms. Amy
Carrozzino, completed this 3-year project. Ms. Carrozzino is currently
completing her M.S. thesis, which is based on this work. The research evaluated
bird and salamander utilization of reclaimed mine sites, as influenced
ecological succession of terrestrial vegetation.
Current Outreach
Powell River Project
Research and Education Center: Education programs for K-12 students at the Center use examples
from mining and reclamation to foster student comprehension of earth and
biological sciences as required by Virginia Standards of Learning, have served
at least 30,000 student and teacher visits to the Center and his programs have
become integral to natural resource education in area schools. A number of
individuals whose first exposure to coal mining was at Powell River Project as
students are now employed by coal-mining firms and government agencies.
Coal-to-Electricity: Working with Eastern Coal Council, Powell
River Project has been instrumental to initiation and delivery of "Coal to
Electricity" Teacher Education program for K-12 teachers from throughout
Virginia. This program was initiated in 1996. Participating teachers learn how
to integrate energy concepts with instruction that addresses Virginia Standards
of Learning, within a context of current societal issues concerning energy and
the environment. Participants visit active and reclaimed surface coal mines,
underground coal mines, electric power plants, a coal gasification facility,
and learn first-hand about the role of coal in today’s energy economy.
Major Accomplishments Over the Longer Term
Powell River Project partnered with state and federal agencies to
support the first comprehensive groundwater characterization survey of the Virginia
coalfield, and to initiate geologic mapping of the Virginia coalfields and its
coal resources back in the early 1980s.
Also in the ‘80s, Lee Daniels (Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences)
research paved the way for widespread use of topsoil substitutes by the
Appalachian coal industry. Dr. Daniels also developed guidelines for
determining when coal refuse can be revegetated with reduced topsoil
thicknesses and by direct seeding, guidelines that have saved the Virginia coal
industry millions of dollars and remain in use today. Dr. Daniels’ more
recent and current work with coal combustion products is developing information
that is critical to environmentally sound management of coal ash and similar
materials in mining environments, and has been influential in the development
of state agency policy regarding these practices.
Jim Burger’s (Forestry) research has had a profound impact on mine
reforestation as reclamation methods based on his research - methods that
improve seedling survival and growth --are now employed by mining firms
throughout Appalachia, with the approval and encouragement of regulatory
authorities – and, because these methods increase the probability of
success – reforestation after mining is far more common today than even
10 years ago.
Powell River Project research, including an survey of acid drainage impacted
streams by biologist Don Cherry (Biology), played a key role in supporting two
environmental improvement initiatives undertaken by Virginia Department of
Mines, Minerals and Energy: With Powell River Project research support (Carl
Zipper, Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences), the agency was a leader among
states in developing incentives for reclamation of abandoned mines by active
coal-mining operations through remining, and the agency’s cooperation
enabled the Army Corps of Engineers’ remediation of a major AMD seep in
Lee County. Between these two initiatives and remining operations by Red River
Coal, the two worst AMD-impacted streams in southwestern Virginia, as documented
by Dr. Cherry, have been fixed.
With Powell River Project support, Virginia Tech Mining and
Minerals Engineer Eric Westman (currently a faculty member, but working undr
Chris Haycocks at that time) conducted the first comprehensive assessment of
Virginia’s coal reserves since the 1950s.
With Powell River Project support, soil scientist Ray Reneau , (Crop and Soil
Environmental Sciences) has documented successful operation of several
technologies for on-site dispersal of septic wastes on mine soils, and an
in-process Powell River Project publication – produced in cooperation by
Virginia Department of Health – recommends septic wastewater treatment
procedures for use by parties seeking to develop reclaimed mine sites where
public sewers are not accessible.