IRON RICH SOIL 198 YEARS LATER

The Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899 was the first environmental law in the United States. In the years before this law was passed, businesses with environmentally hazardous byproducts disposed of their waste improperly. By 1815 the Laurel Furnace was the center of Middle Tennessee iron production. Until 1855 this furnace was producing 660 tons of iron annually. Today, rustic red soil and the remains of this furnace rest beside a stream in Montgomery Bell State Park of Middle Tennessee. The stream system showed no signs of pollution, with normal ppm ion content including iron and zinc. High amounts of iron and zinc ions are found in the analysis of soil cores around the furnace. High ion content is not present at a sample location of high elevation in the park, allowing this location to serve as a control during analysis and interpolation. The chemical composition of soil has a direct effect on the local environment. The environment around Laurel Furnace has experienced significant natural and artificial changes during the last two centuries.