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• sampling at the New Elk Mine, it can reasonably be concuded that in the <br /> refuse there was a corresponding decrease in SAR. Using the measured <br /> decreases in zinc it is estimated that application of gypsum lowered the SAR <br /> values by appro~amately 49 percent while the oxidization of pyrites or other <br /> organic materials lowered the SAR of the sodic New Elk Mine refuse by <br /> approximately 48 percent. R is interesting to note that no significant <br /> differences with respect to a decease in zinc were detected due to the <br /> application of gypsum, which suggests that oxidization of pyritic materials in <br /> the refuse was as effective in reducing the parameters associated with high <br /> SARs as was the application of gypsum. <br /> Various coal amendments have long been tested for their amendment <br /> properties to sodic spoil materials in North Dakota and applied as a means <br /> of ameliorating the sodic properties of these Gayey mine soils. Kollman <br /> (1979) presented a detailed summary of field trials designed to evaluate the <br /> effectiveness of waste or slack coal on sodic mine spoil with and without <br /> reapplied topsoil. On the highly sodic North Beulah #3 site (SAR averaged <br /> 23) he reported that slack coal reduced the pH of regraded mine spoil. <br /> Accompanying this decrease in pH were corresponding increases in the <br /> concentrations of calcum, magnesium, with assocated decreases in SAR. <br /> Working on the sodic Glenharold Mine spoil (SAR averaged 12), Kollman <br /> presented data suggesting that decreases in SAR and corresponding <br /> increases in soluble calcium and magnesium appeared to be linearly <br /> correlated with decreases in pH. Kollman also reported that application of <br />• slack coal resulted in increases in water holding capacity and decreased the <br /> upward movement of sags from the sodic mine spoil into reapplied topsoil. <br /> In the final summary of this aspect of Project Reclamation, Safaya et. al. <br /> (1982) reported on several field Vials involving the application of slack coal <br /> with and without fertilization to sodic mine spoil. Since various sites and a <br /> multitude of data were presented, the following discussion will relate only to <br /> the highly sodic North Beulah site for parameters which were affected by the <br /> application of 100 mT/ha of slack coal (or approximately 13.6 percent coal <br /> to spoil). Presented in Table 2 is a summary of the data for the North Beulah <br /> site taken from Safaya et.al. (1982). <br /> Examination of these data suggests that the addition of fertilizer and slack <br /> coal affected a number of chemical parameters of sodic mine spoil. With <br /> respect to the addition of slack coal to sodic spoil it can be concluded that <br /> the pH, SAR, Ca, Mg, K, N, and P are decreased while the EC, OM, Fe, Mn <br /> are increased. There were no signfcant changes in the concentrations of <br /> Zn, Cu, B, AI, Cd, Ni, and Pb. The saturation percentage was lowered by the <br /> addition of slack coal by a factor of nearly 30 percent. These authors <br /> recommended that due to the presence of large amount of calcium <br /> carbonates present in these spoil materials, acid forming amendments should <br /> be added to correct deficiencies in Fe, Mn, and Zn. The field data suggest <br /> that the addition of slack coal increases concentrations of all of these <br /> parameters. <br /> Plarrt response to these field treatments was reported by Bares (1982). <br />• Among his conclusions were that whenever good quality topsoil is available <br /> it should be used and care should be taken to avoid treating respread <br /> topsoils with slack coal. However, he concluded that on sodic spoil material, <br /> slaGc coal did promote plant establishment, especially when used in <br />17 <br />