Assessment of a Reclamation Cover System for Phosphogypsum Stacks in Central Alberta, Canada

Phosphogypsum (PG), a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry, was produced and stockpiled at the Agrium Fort Saskatchewan facility from 1965 to 1991. Upon decommissioning, the outer slopes of the PG stacks were reclaimed by applying 15 cm of topsoil and planting a non‐native seed mix. Physic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental quality 2010-11, Vol.39 (6), p.2160-2169
Main Authors: Hallin, Ingrid L., Naeth, M. Anne, Chanasyk, David S., Nichol, Connie K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alberta
Assessments
Calcium Sulfate - chemistry
Fertilizers
Guidelines
Hydrology
Industrial Waste
Phosphorus - chemistry
Rain
Reclamation
Refuse Disposal
Runoff
Soil (material)
Soil erosion
Stacks
Topsoil
Vegetation
Water - chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry
Water quality
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Summary:Phosphogypsum (PG), a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry, was produced and stockpiled at the Agrium Fort Saskatchewan facility from 1965 to 1991. Upon decommissioning, the outer slopes of the PG stacks were reclaimed by applying 15 cm of topsoil and planting a non‐native seed mix. Physical, chemical, and hydrologic evaluations of the cover system confirmed that plants were successfully growing in various soil capping depths and were often rooting more than 200 mm into the PG. Percolation past the substrate into PG during a typical storm event was low (
ISSN:0047-2425
1537-2537
1537-2537
DOI:10.2134/jeq2010.0432