Richard Charles Stehouwer

Pennsylvania State University | Penn State · Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

Mine-soil treatment using stabilized manure rapidly sequesters large quantities of organic carbon and nutrients. However the nutrient-rich soil conditions may become highly conducive for production and emission of N2O. We examined this possibility in a Pennsylvania coal mine restored using poultry manure stabilized in two forms: composted (Comp) or...

Mine-land reclamation for biomass production is often achieved by means of large applications of N and organic C with amendments that could create soil conditions favorable for N2O production and emissions. To investigate this possibility, we conducted a laboratory experiment using mine soil collected from an active surface coal mine site near Phil...

Strong phosphorus sorption limits the agronomic productivity of many Andisols. We investigated the interactive effects of lime and P fertilizer amendments on P sorption and availability in a low pH, low soil test-P Andisol from the central Andean highlands of Ecuador. Nine treatments consisting of three rates (0, 90, or 180 kg/hectare) of P and thr...

Mine lands are an environmental concern worldwide because of their potential strong negative impact on water and soil quality. A field study was conducted to assess the use of a dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) product for reclamation of an abandoned surface coal mine in Ohio. The FGD product was an atmospheric fluidized bed combustion residue an...

Establishment of vegetative cover on coal refuse stabilizes the pile surface and reduces off site deposition of acidic sediments and drainage water. Direct revegetation through the use of by-product amendments would eliminate the need for topsoil cover and provide a beneficial use for by-product materials. This 8 month greenhouse study investigated...

Removal of organic contaminants from soil by high temperature (circa 900°C) incineration also destroys soil structure, removes all soil organic matter, sterilizes the soil, removes some fine particulates, alters the crystalline structure of soil clay minerals, and adds salts and alkalinity. The resulting soil ash is incapable of supporting plant li...

Two environmental problems in Pennsylvania are degraded mined lands and excess manure nutrients from intensive animal production. Manure could be used in mine reclamation, but the large application rates required for sustained biomass production could result in significant nutrient discharge. An abandoned mine site in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvani...

Years of unregulated mining activity have left hundreds of abandoned quarries across Lebanon. Satellite images show that the number of quarries and areas they cover increased, from 784 quarries covering 2897 ha in 1989, to 1278 quarries covering 5267 ha in 2005. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to assess the impact of quarrying activiti...

Organic C and nutrients in manure can improve degraded mine soil quality if they are retained in the soil. Composting manure or mixing manure with a high C/N ratio material before application could facilitate this improvement. The effects of these manure stabilization techniques on N and C retention in mine soil were investigated in two incubation...

In Pennsylvania, land disturbance from 150 years of extensive coal mining and intensive animal production that produces manure nutrients in excess of crop needs have degraded ecosystems and water quality. Excess manure could be used in mine reclamation, but the large application rates required for successful revegetation could result in significant...

Abandoned quarries in Lebanon represent not only deteriorated scenery but also a negative element leading to landscape fragmentation and ecosystem deterioration. Between 1996 and 2005 the number of quarries increased from 711 to 1,278 with a simultaneous increase of quarried land from 2,875 to 5,283ha. Remote sensing data from 2005 showed that 21.5...

Spent foundry sand (SFS) could be used with compost to produce blended synthetic topsoil material but many environmental agencies restrict such use out of concern for leaching and plant uptake of contaminants in SFS. A 3 yr field experiment assessed the potential for contaminant leaching and plant uptake from natural soils and blended synthetic top...

Two prominent environmental problems in Pennsylvania include abandoned coal mines and excess animal manure production. A field experiment in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, is testing two approaches to stabilizing nutrients in poultry layer manure used for mine reclamation: composting and adding paper mill sludge to fresh manure. This field study...

Negative impacts of abandoned quarries in Lebanon include degraded scenery, landscape fragmentation, loss of biodiversity and decreased quantity and quality of water resources. Between 1996 and 2005 the number of quarries increased from 711 to 1278 and the quarried land area increased from 2875 to 5283 ha. Recent remote sensing data (2005) showed t...

In the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, intensive animal production generates manure nutrients in excess of crop needs, increasing the likelihood of transport to water bodies and degradation of ecosystems and water quality. In this same region, 150 years of extensive coal mining has severely degraded land and impaired streams. Excess manur...

Uncertainties concerning the fate in soil of potential contaminants in spent foundry sand (SFS), thus limiting their use in manufactured topsoils. A column experi- ment investigated plant growth, leaching and uptake of nutrients, trace elements, and organics from blends of SFSs and composts. Ryegrass growth was excellent with no toxicities.Verysmal...

Gamma Sigma Delta Research Exposition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Soils contain approximately 75% of the terrestrial carbon (C) pool. Therefore, soils play a major role in the global C cycle. Soil carbon sequestration is very important to the mitigation of increasing atmospheric concentration of CO2. In Pennsylvania excess manure from intensive animal agriculture could be used in coal mine reclamation. Because mi...

Pennsylvania has an estimated 250,000 acres of damaged land from coal mining activities. In the same region, concentrated animal production facilities produce manure in excess of crop needs, creating an increased risk of nutrient pollution in surface and groundwater. This poultry manure could be used for mine reclamation, however, the large quantit...

SUMMARY OF THE GUIDELINES 1. These guidelines refer to bulk application of both “exceptional quality” (EQ) and non-EQ sewage biosolids. 2. Any farm considering the application of sewage biosolids should construct a farm-scale nutrient balance to ensure a demonstrated need for the additional nutrients. 3. Apply the highest quality sewage biosolids a...

A previous study indicated that agricultural biosolid applications increased the concentration of EPA 3050 -digestible trace elements in soils on Pennsylvania pro-duction farms but could not indicate potential trace-element environmental availability. This study was conducted to determine if biosolid application had altered the distri-bution of tra...

Mine reclamation with biosolids increases revegetation success but nutrient addition well in excess of vegetation requirements has the potential to increase leaching of NO3 and other biosolids constituents. A 3-yr water quality monitoring study was conducted on a Pennsylvania mine site reclaimed with biosolids applied at the maximum permitted and s...

Because of Its P content biosolids incineration ash could be used as a P source for plant growth, but there is uncertainty concerning the availability of the P as well as that of trace metals also present in the ash. A four week incubation experiment demonstrated that ash P was 0.249 as effective as triple super phosphate (TSP) P at increasing Mehl...

European Union has implemented environmental policies intended to greatly increase diversion of organic wastes from landfills over the next decade. The major driver for this change is the landfill directive that calls for member states to reduce organic waste landfilling to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016. Strategies and timeframes to achieve diversion...

Fifty-nine coal combustion products were collected from coal-fired power plants using various dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) processes to remove SO2. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed duct injection and spray dryer processes created products that primarily contained Ca(OH)2 (portlandite) and CaSO3·0.5H2O (hannebachite). Most samples from the...

Beneficial and environmentally safe recycling of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) products requires detailed knowledge of their chemical and physical properties. We analyzed 59 dry FGD samples collected from 13 locations representing four major FGD scrubbing technologies. The chemistry of all samples was dominated by Ca, S, Al, Fe, and Si and strong...

Agricultural utilization of biosolids poses a potential risk to ruminant animals due to transfer of Mo from biosolids to forage to the animal in amounts large enough to suppress Cu uptake by the animal. Alkaline-stabilized biosolids (ASB) must be given particular consideration in assessment of Mo risk because the high pH of these biosolids could in...

Agronomic use of biosolids as a fertilizer material remains controversial in part due to public concerns regarding the potential pollution of soils, crop tissue, and ground water by excess nutrients and trace elements in biosolids. This study was designed to assess the effects of long-term commercial-scale application of biosolids on soils and crop...

Surface incorporation of a liming agent in combination with compost or biosolids is a proven way to revegetate acidic minespoils, but little is known about the effect of the surface amendments on subsoil chemistry. We conducted a greenhouse column experiment to investigate how different surface amendments affected plant growth and subsoil chemistry...

Combining limestone (CaCO3) application with compost or gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) can substantially increase subsoil Ca and decrease subsoil Al saturation in highly weathered acidic soils because of increased Ca mobility and formation of nontoxic Al-organic matter complexes. However, little is known about the effect of these surface amendments on subsoil...

Land application of biosolids as a fertilizer amendment to agricultural land is a controversial issue despite the long history of the practice. Public concerns surrounding biosolids application include potential pollution of soils, crop tissue and groundwater by excess nutrients and trace elements that are present in biosolids. This 3-year study wa...

Application of sewage sludge to farmland in Pennsylvania (PA) is regulated by crop N needs and the cumulative loading of eight trace elements. A survey of 7746 sewage sludges produced at 177 publicly owned (wastewater) treatment works (POTWs) in PA from 1978 to 1997 was conducted to determine what changes have occurred in nutrient and trace element...

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products are created when sulfur dioxide is removed from the combustion gases of fossil fuel (e.g. coal) fired boilers. Several of these FGD by-products have properties that make them attractive for land application uses in agriculture and surface mineland reclamation. The properties of FGD that are potentially ben...

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubbing technologies create several types of by-products. This project focused primarily on by-product materials obtained from what are commonly called ''dry scrubbers'' which produce a dry, solid material consisting of excess sorbent, reaction product that contains sulfate and sulfite, and coal fly ash. Prior to th...

New flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubbing technologies create a dry, solid by-product material consisting of excess sorbent, reaction product that contains sulfate and sulfite, and coal fly ash. Generally, dry FGD by-products are treated as solid wastes and disposed in landfills. However, landfill sites are becoming scarce and tipping fees are c...

Removal of SOâ from the emissions of coal-fired boilers produces by-products that often consist of CaSOâ, residual alkalinity, and coal ash. These by-products could be beneficial to acidic soils because of their alkalinity and the ability of gypsum (CaSOâ{center{underscore}dot}2HâO) to reduce Al toxicity in acidic subsoils. A 3-yr field experiment...

Internally porous inorganic amendments (IPIA'S) are thought to improve water and nutrient retention of root zones. This study examined the performance of three amendment materials, a cla-cined clay and two diatomaceous earth products when added to high sand root zone mixes. Water retention aspects focused on the capacity of these materials to retai...

Co-utilization of by-product materials in mine reclamation represents a potential double benefit to society because the materials are diverted from the solid waste stream and utilized to restore degraded landscapes. Several experiments have been conducted or are in progress to investigate minespoil amendment with flue gas desulfurization (FGD) bypr...

Clean air legislation has resulted in increased production of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products by coal-fired boilers. Use of FGD by-products as substitutes for agricultural limestone represents a potential beneficial use alternative to landfill disposal of these materials. To determine the efficacy and potential for environmental impact o...

Gypsum (G) and Mg (OH)â (FGD-Mg) are recovered from the thickener overflow of an experimental wet FGD scrubber in the Zimmer power plant of CINergy (Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company). The purity of recovered G ranges from almost 100 to 92%, with impurities occurring mainly as Mg(OH)â. Gypsum contaminated with Mg(OH), is referred to as Mg(OH)â-en...

One potential use for alkaline, dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by- products is in reclamation of acidic minespoils. Greenhouse column studies of 8-mo duration investigated growth and tissue composition of plants grown on three acidic minespoils amended with two dry FGD by-products (lime injection multistage burners, LIMB; and, pressurized fluid...

A 1,500 ton temporary storage pile of water conditioned LIMB (Lime Injected Multistage Burner) ash by-product from the Ohio Edison Edgewater plant Lorain, OH was constructed in July, 1991 at a coal company near New Philadelphia, Ohio. This stockpile was created for dry FGD by-product material to be held in reserve for a land application uses field...

Greenhouse column studies of 8 mo duration investigated the solubility and mobility of salts and trace elements in dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products used for minespoil reclamation. Three mine-spoils were amended with two dry FGD by-products (lime injection multistage burners ash, LIMB; and, pressurized fluidized bed combustion ash, PFB...

In many temperate region no-tillage agro-ecosystems, the vertically oriented burrows of the nightcrawler earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris L.) function as preferential flow paths and may promote the rapid downward transport of surface-applied chemicals. The burrows of nightcrawlers, however, are lined with a material that is enriched in organic C rel...

Dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) byproducts result from the removal of SO2 from the stack gases of coal-fired boilers and are mixtures of coal fly-ash, CaS04 and unspent sorbent. Dry FGD byproducts frequently have neutralizing values greater than 50% CaC03 equivalency and thus have potential for neutralizing acid agricultural soils. Owing to the...

The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act have spurred the development of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) processes, several of which produce a dry, solid by-product material consisting of excess sorbent, reaction products containing sulfates and sulfites, and coal fly ash. FGD by-product materials are treated as solid wastes and must be landfilled....

Vertically oriented earthworm burrows exist in many agricultural sites, especially in no-tillage soils where the burrows are left intact from year to year. Earthworm burrows can function as preferential flow conduits and may enhance downward transport of surface-applied pesticides. Earthworm activity induces changes in the soil characteristics of t...

Information is lacking concerning the effect of spring plowing (CT) an established (5 years or more) no-tillage (NT) field on maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield and nitrogen (N) uptake. A 3-year split plot field experiment, with two levels of tillage (CT and NT) and six levels of fertilizer N (0–336 kg N ha−1 as NH4NO3), was conducted on a Coshocton s...

The fertilizers were injected separately and simultaneously into two soils, a Hoytville silty clay loam (fine, illitic, mesic Mollic Ochraqualf) and an Avonburg silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Aeric Fragiqualf). Following incubation for various periods, in the Avonburg soil, very little interaction between the two fertilizer materials was obser...

Nitrogen management for conventional tillage (CT) corn (Zea mays L.) production is highly dependent on local soil and climatic conditions. Nitrogen fertilizer source, time of application, and use of nitrification inhibitors (NI) are components of an N management program which easily can be varied by the producer. An 8-yr study was undertaken in Ohi...

Studies involving placement and transport interactions of fluid fertilizers require precise control of application rates of small amounts of fertilizer. An apparatus for use in fertilizer interaction studies was developed which permits simultaneous band injection of two fluid fertilizers. Either gaseous or liquid fertilizers can be used and the app...

The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act have spurred the development of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) processes, several of which produce a dry, solid by-product material consisting of excess sorbent, reaction products containing sulfates and sulfites, and coal fly ash. Presently FGD by-product materials are treated as solid wastes and must be la...

Establishment of vegetation on acid abandoned minelands requires modification of soil physical and chemical conditions. Covering the acid minesoil with topsoil or borrow soil is a common practice but this method may be restricted by availability of borrow soil and cause damage to the borrow site. An alternative approach is to use waste materials as...

Dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products are mixtures of coal fly-ash, anhydrite (CaCOâ), and unspent lime- or limestone-based sorbent. Dry FGD by-products frequently have neutralizing values greater than 50% CaCOâ equivalency and thus have potential for neutralizing acidic soils. Owing to the presence of soluble salts and various trace eleme...

The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act have spurred the development of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) processes, several of which produce a dry, solid by-product material consisting of excess sorbent, reaction products containing sulfates and sulfites, and coal fly ash. Presently FGD by-product materials are treated as solid wastes and must be la...