Hybrid Poplar Demonstration at the Repellier Mine in the Schuylkill River Headwaters Philadelphia Water Department Waste Management & Processors, Inc. Garvey Resources

The Wadesville Coal Mine in the Southern Coal Field near Minersville, PA

Drainage from mined coal seams impacts the Schuylkill River at the Pine Knot Discharge near Minersville, PA

After mining is complete, mine pits are graded and fertilized with biosolids

Surface application of biosolids stabilizes the surface, intercepting rainfall, preventing erosion and restoring habitats

Deep row placement is an alternative to surface applications of biosolids; an excavator is used to dig a trench for placement of biosolids (May 2005)

Biosolids is placed beside the waiting trench at prescribed application rate (May 2005)

Close up of digested, dewatered biosolids from Philadelphia awaiting placement in the trench (May 2005)

10” stecklings of hybrid poplars are placed in the overburden covering the biosolids trench (June 2005)

At this demonstration, hybrid poplar in plots treated with biosolids show good growth (May 2006)

Hybrid poplar planted in control plots with no biosolids show poor growth (May 2006)

One-year old hybrid poplar sapling early in the second year, one-year after planting reach 6 feet (June 2006)

Hybrid poplar at the start of the third growing season have trees with a height up to 17 feet (May 2007)