United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Municipal Environmental Research
Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
O'AV
'/ I
Research and Development
EPA-600/S2-84-016 Mar. 1984
Project Summary
Reclamation of Toxic Mine
Waste Utilizing Sewage
Sludge: Contrary Creek
Demonstration Project,
Addendum Report
Kenneth R. Hinkle
A demonstration project was under-
taken to reclaim two abandoned pyrite
mine sites with sewage sludge. Located
in central Virginia, the mines had been
inactive since 1923 and had caused
severe acid mine drainage (AMD) in
Contrary Creek. This small stream is
virtually devoid of aquatic life and feeds
into Lake Anna, which supplies cooling
water for a nuclear power plant and has
recreational uses as well.
Reclamation began in 1976 and
included the use of sewage sludge as a
soil conditioner. Severe droughts in
1976-77 and 1980-81 and the highly
toxic nature of the mine waste required
a continuing maintenance program to
establish vegetation. By the summer of
1983, approximately 90 percent of the
reclaimed areas supported a fairly-well-
established grass cover.
A comprehensive monitoring program
from 1975 to 1982 indicated a trend
toward reduction in heavy metals, but
no appreciable improvement occurred
in the pH and acidity problem. More
improvement is expected as AMD
formation is reduced by the gradual
development of a thicker soil layer and
vegetative cover. Biologic surveys have
revealed negligible improvement in the
biota.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Municipal Environmental
Research Laboratory. Cincinnati, OH,
to announce key findings in this research
project that are fully documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).
Introduction
Three abandoned pyrite mines contain-
ing some 12 denuded ha (29.5 acres) in
central Virginia have been inactive since
1923 and have caused severe acid mine
drainage (AMD) in a small stream known
as Contrary Creek. The AMD, which
included heavy metals, made the stream
virtually devoid of aquatic life. The
Virginia State Water Control Board
(SWCB) was prompted to seek a solution
to this problem when plans were an-
nounced in 1968 to construct a reservoir
for a nuclear power plant downstream
from Contrary Creek. This report describes
the reclamation of two of the mine sites
comprising about 8 ha.
The Contrary Creek Project is located in
Louisa County, Virginia, approximately
65 km northwest of Richmond and 129
km southwest of Washington, D.C.
Contrary Creek is approximately 8 km
long and has an average annual flow of
197 L/s (7.3 cfs) at its mouth, where it
empties into Lake Anna, an impoundment
completed in 1972 as a source of cooling
water for a nuclear power plant. The lake
also has important recreational and
fishing values.
The area is in the so-called pyrite gold
belt of the Piedmont physiographic
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province and was the scene of extensive
mining activity in the 19th century.
Between 1880 and 1923, more than 6
million tons of pyritic ore were produced
from three deep-shaft pyrite mines
known as the Arminius, the Boyd Smith,
and the Sulphur along Contrary Creek.
During this period, large volumes of
wastes were dumped indiscriminately
along Contrary Creek, denuding about 12
ha at the three sites and creating the
AMD problem. The sources of AMD,
which include heavy metals, are shown
in Figure 1. The worst conditions prevailed
at the Sulphur site, where about 6 ha
were seriously affected.
The area remained essentially in this
condition for more than 50 years after the
mines were closed, until plans were
announced to build the reservoir on the
North Anna River, into which Contrary
Creek drained. Concern existed that the
continued influx of AMD would eventually
cause a buildup of contaminants in the
reservoir and could create major fish kills.
Pre-impoundment biologic studies had
shown aquatic life to be nearly nonexistent
in Contrary Creek and to be adversely
affected in the North Anna River for about
9 km below the confluence of Contrary
Creek.
The SWCB conducted limited water
quality studies of Contrary Creek in the
early 1970's and determined that pH
levels ranged from 4.8 to 3.3 in the most
severely affected portions of the stream.
Heavy metals, copper, iron, lead, man-
ganese, and zinc were present in excessive
amounts.
In 1973, the SWCB applied for an EPA
demonstration grant to perform abate-
ment measures under the provisions of
Section 107 of PL 92-500. An EPA grant
to reclaim the two downstream mine sites
known as the Boyd Smith and the
Sulphur was awarded to the SWCB in
1975.' Deeds of easement were executed
with the property owners concurrent with
the grant application. A mining company
assumed responsibility for reclaiming the
third mine site (the Arminius). The Soil
Conservation Service prepared plans and
specifications for the construction and
assisted throughout the project.
Procedures
Reclamation began in April 1976 and
consisted of clearing debris, regrading
and smoothing wastes, constructing
diversions, excavating stream channels,
riprapping stream banks, applying fertilizer
and lime, incorporating wastewater
sludge as a soil conditioner, seeding and
mulching, and placing erosion controls.
Arrangements were made with the
District of Columbia to deliver wastewater
sludge from the Blue Plains Sewage
Treatment Plant. Each day the plant
generates approximately 275 wet tonnes
of anaerobically digested sludge, which is
concentrated to approximately 20 percent
solids. Because of the high cost of sludge
disposal in the Washington, D.C., area,
the District agreed to deliver all sludge
needed at no cost to the SWCB. This
arrangement resulted in a tremendous
cost saving to the project.
Droughts in 1976 and 1977 severely
hampered efforts to establish vegetation
on the reclaimed areas. A maintenance
program was therefore developed and
continued until 1982. The following
elements were included:
1) Applications of additional fertilizer,
lime, and sludge
2) Spot-seeding of persistent problem
areas
3) Placement of riprap and straw bales
for erosion control
4) Limited irrigation of the Sulphur
site
A total of 2,118 dry tonnes (2,335 tons)
of sludge was applied to the two mine
sites from 1976 through 1979. Initial
application rates ranged from 200 to 260
dry tonnes/ha (90 to 116 tons/acre).
Runoff of AMD
and mine waste
into stream
AMD - overflow
from mine shaft
Mine
shaft
Leaching of AMD
from mine waste
Leaching of AMD
from mine
waste
Mine waste
Figure 1. Sources of mine drainage into Contrary Creek. (Not to scale}.
2
Lime application rates were determined •
from soil analyses and ranged from 4.5
tonnes/ha (2 tons/acre) to 33.4 tonnes/
ha (15 tons/acre). Fertilizer (the 10-10-
10 formula) was usually applied at a rate
of 1,121 kg/ha (1,000 Ib/acre). During
the last years of maintenance, a higher
potash fertilizer was used.
Conclusions
Vegetation and Soil Conditions
The first significant progress in the
vegetative effort did not occur until 1978
and 1979, when near normal seasonal
rainfall returned. Even then, irrigation
water had to be applied periodically to
critical parts of the Sulphur site. Abnor-
mally low precipitation in 1980 and 1981
continued to impede vegetative growth.
Despite the droughts that plagued this
project and the very harsh conditions that
existed before reclamation, about 90
percent of the reclaimed areas had a fair
to good cover of vegetation by 1983.
Some highly toxic portions of the Sulphur
site still had sparse cover. Much of this
site has a very thin soil layer supporting
vegetation, and the susceptibility to
drought is quite high. The Boyd Smith site
appears to be well on its way to establish-
ing a permanent cover. Without the use of
sludge in this project, it is doubtful that a
fraction of the vegetative cover would
have been attained.
The most successful planting was Ky-
31 fescue grass, which proved to be the
mainstay of the vegetation. Weeping
lovegrass exhibited high tolerance for
drought and always made its best
showing during the hot summer months
when the Ky-31 became dormant. Korean
and sericea lespedeza were both used in
the seed formula, but neither of these
legumes showed any appreciable success.
Regular soil analyses conducted by the
Soil Conservation Service and the SWCB
showed significant increases in pH (Table
1) and nutrient availability i n't he top layer
of soil as the project progressed. But little
improvement occurred in the deeper
layers below the root zone. The heavy
application of lime was undoubtedly a
factor in raising the pH. Fertilizer
formulas were adjusted according to
nutrient requirements. A high potash
fertilizer was used after soil tests began
to show a relationship between potash
deficiency and difficult areas to vegetate.
Soil was also analyzed for water-
extractable heavy metals. Sharp reductions
in metal concentrations occurred within
the top few centimeters over most of the
reclaimed areas (Table 1). ^
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Tablet.
Date
pH and Metal Content of Soil
Collected from the East Side of
the Sulphur Site Between 1976
and 1982 (mg/kg, dry weight
basis)*
Table2. Average Annual Concentrations in Contrary Creek Below the Sulphur Site*
Concentration (mg/Lj
pH Cu
Fe
Mn
Zn
11-76
3-78
3-79
2-80
7-81
2-82
5.5
7.3
5.9
5.2
7.4
6.4
8.6
0.3
0.3
0.2
1.3
0.4
4.2
6.2
3.6
0.8
0.1
0.1
31.4
0.5
1.9
1.7
0.1-
0.6
18.8
0.1
1.2
3.4
0.8
0.5
*Each analysis is for one composite sample
collection. All samples were collected at a
depth of about 5 cm.
Water Quality
A comprehensive water quality program
to evaluate the success of the project was
implemented in October 1975 before
reclamation. The program involved
semimonthly samplings and flow mea-
surements at five stream stations and
sampling of two stations at surface,
middle, and bottom depths in the Contrary
Creek arm of Lake Anna. A stream-
monitoring station was established
below each mine site, with an additional
one at the mouth of Contrary Creek and
another above the Arminius site for
control. Water samples from both stream
and lake stations were analyzed for pH,
acidity, sulfate, copper, iron, lead,
manganese, zinc, suspended solids, and
turbidity. Measurements of BOD (5-day)
and fecal conforms were included to
determine whether any adverse effects of
using wastewater sludge could be
discerned.
The regular monitoring program con-
tinued until early 1980, when the lake
stations were eliminated and the stream
sampling was reduced to once monthly.
Other monitoring included pH and
conductivity transects along selected
reaches of Contrary Creek and periodic
analyses of tributaries. Monthly sampling
continued until 1982.
I n terms of concentration and load data,
the 7-year monitoring program indicated
a general trend toward reduction of heavy
metals in Contrary Creek (Tables 2 and 3).
But no appreciable improvement occurred
in the pH and acidity problem.
The wide fluctuations in average
annual flows had considerable bearing
on the monitoring data generated. For
instance, a severe summer drought in
1977 dropped flows drastically and raised
concentrations sharply. When another
more prolonged drought in 1981 reduced
annual flows to about half those recorded
in 1977, the rise in concentrations was
much less pronounced indicating an
Year
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
pH
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.6
3.8
3.7
3.6
Acidity
(CaCO3
134
238
160
217
178
211
130
SO*
240
376
224
196
255
250
235
Cu
0.95
1.73
1.17
0.79
0.78
0.90
0.97
Fe
37.3
54.9
31.3
25.5
29.0
32.0
26.3
Pb
0.07
0.13
0.07
0.07
0.04
0.05
0.05
Mn
2.1
2.5
1.6
1.7
1.9
2.0
1.6
Zn
4.8
7.9
5.7
4.3
4.5
7.3
4.5
^Computed from average annual flows at a key monitoring station below the Sulphur site.
Tables. Average Annual Loads in Contrary Creek Below the Sulphur Site*
(Load (kg/day)
Year
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
Flow
(L/s)
147.8
94.6
206.5
198.8
153.1
52.7
112.9
Acidity
(CaCOa)
1130
1080
2421
3186
1543
884
1116
SOt
2188
1709
3242
2633
2300
1106
1885
Cu
8.4
8.8
18.9
11.4
7.7
3.9
9.9
Fe
313
371
493
354
281
133
228
Pb
0.6
1.0
1.4
1.0
0.4
0.2
0.4
Mn
18.5
14.2
26.2
20.7
17.8
8.7
11.2
Zn
46.0
46.5
87.5
58.5
46.3
35.0
38.5
*Computed from average annual flows at a key monitoring station below the Sulphur site.
improvement in water quality over that
period.
The water quality of Contrary Creek is
still deteriorating as it flows past each
mine site. The Sulphur site is the major
contributor of AMD, but certain heavy
metals appear to be peculiar to each site.
Erosion and surface runoff of AMD have
been reduced, but the continual leaching
of AMD from the stream banks and the
sudden flushouts during heavy rainstorms
following extended dry periods are still
problems. The downstream reach of
Contrary Creek between the Sulphur site
and Lake Anna, where a profuse amount
of mine wastes have flushed downstream,
is a major problem. No abatement work
has been done on this part of the stream.
The monitoring program showed that
the Contrary Creek arm of Lake Anna is
degraded by AMD, but the main body of
the reservoir has apparently been unaf-
fected. No adverse effects on water
quality and no health hazards are known
to have resulted from the extensive use of
sludge in this project. In view of the very
toxic nature of the AMD entering Contrary
Creek, improvement in the water quality
will be slow. Several more years will
probably pass before any appreciable
improvement is noted.
Biologic Studies
As part of the monitoring program, the
SWCB conducted spring and fall biologic
surveys annually to determine the status
of aquatic life in Contrary Creek. There
have been slight improvements in the
benthic communities between the Boyd
Smith and the Sulphur sites, but much of
the stream in the affected area remains
highly toxic to all but the most tolerant
organisms. Sensitive organisms do
inhabit the unaffected tributaries of
Contrary Creek. Thus, there is potential
for benthic life to be restored in the main
stream if the AMD problem is reduced.
Costs
Total cost of the entire project including
Federal and State matching funds was
approximately $327,000. Actual con-
struction work and maintenance costs
over the 7-year period were approximately
$121,000, or $15,000/ha.
Recommendations
1) A project of this type will probably
require several years of intense
maintenance to assure permanent
survival of vegetation. Soil tests
should be conducted at least annually
to evaluate progress and to determine
soil additives needed. Close surveil-
lance should be made of the reclama-
tion sites for 5 to 10 years to observe
progress and any evidence of damage
that may reverse the project effort.
2) Whenever feasible, wastewater sludge
' should be used in the reclamation of
lands severely affected by mine
wastes. The positive effects that
sludge has in promoting vegetation
on highly toxic areas have been well
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demonstrated in this project. Large
urban areas that generate huge
volumes of sludge and have problems
obtaining disposal sites are the best
sludge sources.
3) Water quality monitoring of the
regular stream stations and key
tributaries should continue on a
limited basis. Biologic studies should
continue biennially. All monitoring
data should be evaluated for long-
term changes.
4) The downstream reach of Contrary
Creek between the Sulphur site and
Lake Anna should be targeted if any
additional reclamation work is con-
ducted.
5) The vast amount of quantitative and
qualitative data generated by the
comprehensive monitoring program
in conjunction with this project may
have beneficial uses to other studies
aside from AMD. Few streams of this
small size have likely been monitored
so intensely in terms of quality and
flow.
The full report was submitted in
fulfillment of Grant No. S-803801 by the
Virginia State Water Control Board under
the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Kenneth R. Hinkle is with the Virginia State Water Control Board, Bridgewater, VA
22812.
Ronald Hill is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Reclamation of Toxic Mine Waste Utilizing Sewage
Sludge: Contrary Creek Demonstration Project, A ddendum Report," (Order No.
PB 84-140 144; Cost: $10.00, subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
•ff U S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1984 — 759-015/7603
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
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