English

Abstract

Excavation of sulfidic materials during construction has resulted in acid rock drainage (ARD) problems on disturbed lands throughout much of Virginia. In particular, exposure of sulfide-bearing Tertiary marine sediments in the Coastal Plain has become increasingly prevalent. Once exposed, these sediments rapidly produce acid sulfate soils which do not readily support vegetation. To date, the most extensive case of acid sulfate weathering problems in the Coastal Plain occurs at Stafford Regional Airport (SRAP) in Stafford, Virginia. Field plots were established at SRAP in 2002 to evaluate a variety of amendments for remediation and revegetation of acid sulfate soils. The plots were constructed in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 4 replications per treatment. Prior to treatment, surface (0–15cm) soil samples were collected from all plots to determine pH and peroxide potential acidity (PPA). Treatments included two rates of lime-stabilized biosolids (184 and 92 Mg ha -1 ) with small amounts of additional lime to achieve calcium carbonate equivalences (CCE) of 53 and 27 Mg ha -1 , two rates of lime (47 and 23 Mg ha -1 CCE) with N, P, and K fertilizers, yardwaste compost (101 Mg ha -1 ) with lime (24 Mg ha -1 CCE) and P and K fertilizers, and a control. The plots were seeded with a mix of acidand salt-tolerant grasses. Soil and vegetation samples were collected in duplicate from each plot after 1 and 2 years. No significant differences were observed among the amended treatments for surface soil pH, surface soil EC, or vegetation production for either of the sampling dates, indicating that all of the tested amendment combinations were effective in stabilizing these materials. Additional