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July 19, 2012

Brownfield remediation? Try trees

Right combination of plantings can remove toxins

Howard Greninger The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Randomly planting trees to extract heavy metals or toxins from the soil in brownfield sites will not work, but specific types of trees and selective planting methods can work to clean up contaminated sites, said Ronald S. Zelesny Jr., a research plant geneticist with the U.S. Forestry Service.

Using trees and planting methods to soak up toxins or heavy metals like lead, arsenic or petroleum is called phytotechnologies.

Zelesny, speaking Wednesday during the Indiana Urban Forest Council’s Summer Conference on the campus of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, said researchers at the U.S. Forestry’s Northern Research Station in Rhinelander, Wis., have developed a system using  “workhorse” trees, with specific species of poplar and willow trees, to remove toxins,

A remediation plan determines the best species and planting method — such as surrounding trees in sand  — for removal of heavy metals, salts and pesticides. The workhorse trees absorb the toxins, then, years later, are replaced with natural tree species or more appealing species in the cleaned up site.

Most sites undertaken require about 20 years for full remediation, but could take less time, depending on the site, Zelesny said. However, each site needs a specific plan.

“Many will just take whatever is commercially available from a nursery, buy it and put it out there — and then it fails,” Zelesny said. “Growing these poplars and willows is fairly labor-intensive in the first couple of years until the [tree] crowns close. Another problem we have is people will put the system out there, but they won’t take care of it and the trees die. Then it gets coined as phytoremediation doesn’t work,” Zelesny said.

Zelesny said it requires correct plant selection and maintenance to remove contaminants from the soil.

“I think these types of technologies have a real value in terms of reducing the costs. Typically phytotechnologies are about a third of the cost of traditional means of cleaning up contaminated sites,” he said.

It’s a method Pat Martin, transportation planner for the city of Terre Haute, said could work in at least two city sites — along the National Heritage Trail and at Maple Avenue Nature Park.

On the north side of the trail, near the Heritage Trail Apartments, rests a former small railyard that extends to the Fruitridge Avenue overpass. It’s an area the city has considered for a trail rest area, with covered shelters, Martin said. However, it has spot sites heavily contaminated with lead, arsenic or benzo(a)pryene — a carcinogen found in coal tar — and some petroleum contamination, Martin said.

“The excitement for me is they [U.S. Forestry Service’s Northern Research Station] are looking for research sites. We have those,” Martin said.

The city has considered capping those spots, but Martin said phytotechnologies could be applied there as well as at the Maple Avenue Nature Park, which has about a 100-foot diameter area that has been capped, forming a “mini butte” area, he said.

“Instead of planting flowers, we could plant trees,” he said.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Program through the U.S. Forestry Service has funding to reduce toxic substances on brownfield sites, Zelesny said. “Typically there is about $1.2 million to $1.3 million available [annually] for reforestation or a forestation of brownfield sites,” he said. “For putting trees on contaminated sites, this is a really good program to look into.”

Cities can apply for the funding in the spring, with grant awards made in July, Zelesny said.

In a related matter, a remediation plan for the former Coke & Carbon plant, a brownfield site at 13th and Hulman streets, is expected to be completed by mid-October, with remediation bids and contracts established by year’s end. Remediation work would begin next year, Martin said.

“We don’t have a number yet in terms of what a total remediation will cost. The number we have been working with is between $2.5 million and $5.5 million, but that is a big range, so we just don’t know yet,” he said.

The project is being paid for from the city’s wastewater treatment upgrade project. The wastewater project gets a discounted loan rate because it includes a brownfield project, Martin said.



Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.

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