A field study about the efficacy of using wood-ash for soil remediation on one mining property in the Sudbury Basin

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The present study is an examination into the viability of using a wood-ash treatment for the purpose of soil remediation on acidified soils resulting from smelting operations. The study follows a pilot project done between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, EACOM Timber Corporation, and Collège Boréal. In a controlled greenhouse setting, wood-ash from the abovementioned industry partner was found to have statistically significant and positive effects on soil nutrients and tree seedling growth. The purpose of the present study is to corroborate the results of the greenhouse research by conducting field trials to determine the effectiveness of the wood-ash on soil affected by a century of mining-related activities. Glencore - Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO) has joined the partnership with hopes that the wood-ash could be used on its mining properties. The results will provide the multi-national mining company with an inexpensive and environmentally friendly alternative to liming and fertilising to reduce soil acidity and improving soil nutrients. Meanwhile, EACOM Timber Corporation will see 3 benefits: (a) empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of their ash on acidified mining land, (b) a process to consolidate the wood-ash for field application and (c) a market study on the viability of adding wood-ash to the list of by-products produced at their sawmills in Ontario and Québec. Lastly, the professors and students from Collège Boréal and Cégep Abitibi-Témiscamingue will benefit by enhancing their research skill set about one industrial residue.