USING A MULTI-PROXY APPROACH TO EVALUATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AT THE FRIAR TUCK MINING COMPLEX, DUGGER, INDIANA

In 1943, the Friar Tuck coal mine opened for operation in Greene County, Indiana, and in 1945, the Redbird Coal Company opened for operation on the west side of the Friar Tuck site in Sullivan County, Indiana. After producing more than 6 tons of coal collectively, the Friar Tuck and the Redbird site were both closed by 1952. Reclamation efforts began in 1970. In 1996, IDNR was recruited by the Division of Outdoor Recreation to address pollution issues at the abandoned mine sites, including poor water quality in nearby streams. The Friar Tuck mining complex contributes acid drainage to major Indiana waterways and many areas within the study area cannot sustain vegetation even after remediation. Most areas within the Friar Tuck complex have been successfully remediated; however, the area of research interest requires additional treatment and continues to be impacted by runoff from gob piles and the formation of acidic “hot spots”. These hot spots behave unpredictably and are characterized by the exposure of bare soil. These hot spots are of particular concern because contaminated soil may leave the site during summer months as aerosols due to soil desiccation. 258 soil samples were collected at the Friar Tuck Mining Complex to evaluate metal accumulation and bioavailability using several different geochemical techniques, including bulk geochemistry following reaction with water and acid and a sequential extraction technique. The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the geochemical behavior of metals in the poorly developed soils at the abandoned mine site and to inform future remediation efforts. At present, all soil samples have been reacted with Milli-Q water after ashing, reacted with a strong acid (2M HCl) after ashing, and have undergone a sequential extraction technique (Tessier, 1979). Samples are currently in the process of being analyzed by ICP-OES for metals commonly associated with AMD, including Fe, Al, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn. A major goal of this project is to evaluate the spatial variability in the distribution of metals in surface soils and to evaluate the relationships between surface enrichment in metals and hot spot behavior.