Syncrude Canada Ltd (Syncrude) Mildred Lake operation is the largest producer of crude oil from oil sands mining in Canada. A saline-sodic clay-shale overburden known as the Clearwater Formation (Kc) must be removed in order to access the oil-bearing McMurray Formation (Km). The potential concerns associated with the reclamation of overburden structures include shale weathering and salt release and migration, resulting in salinization of groundwater, surface water, and reclamation soil covers. South Bison Hill (SBH) is one example of a Kc overburden structure located at the Syncrude Mildred Lake Operation. The general objective of this study is to develop a preliminary conceptual/interpretative model of the hydrogeology of the newly reclaimed SBH at the Syncrude mine site. A number of tasks were undertaken to meet this general objective. The first, and most important aspect of this study was to develop a geological model of SBH including pile geometry and depositional history of the hill. Secondly, to gain an understanding of the field conditions, a program was carried out over 2002 and 2003 to obtain pile physical characteristics. The geological model revealed that there are four main geological sections of SBH of different materials using different construction methods. The field data were used to verify the geological model, which illustrated the differences in hydraulic conductivities and geochemical signatures between the different sections. All information was used to develop a simple steady-state numerical seepage model of SBH to be used as a tool to investigate the response of the water levels of SBH to variations in the model parameters. The model illustrated that groundwater flow is largely controlled by a more permeable section on the south side of SBH and an unstructured Kc fill at the base of the pile. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the model changing the flux into the pile, the permeability of the materials, and most importantly the head value of the tailings facility located on the north side both showing to be influential on the elevation of the water table through SBH.

To predict the effectiveness of land reclamation, it is important to understand how water and solutes are transported within reconstructed landscapes. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of preferential flow on salt leaching in reclamation soil covers. The study site was a reconstructed landscape where saline-sodic minespoil from oil sands mining was capped with layers of glacial and peat mix soil. Preferential flow was investigated using laboratory column experiments and in situ adsorptive dye and conservative tracer experiments.<p> Results from column experiments and dye tracer experiments indicate that preferential flow is an important and prevalent mechanism of solute transport. Column experiments, which used time-domain reflectometry to monitor the transport of a chloride tracer through an undisturbed core of peat mix soil, determined immobile water fractions (èim/è) ranging from 80-99% and diffusive mass transfer rates (á) between 0.15 - 2.0 h-1. Breakthrough curves showed the early arrival of chloride and extended tailing. Dye tracer experiments, in which Brilliant Blue dye was applied in solution to the soil surface, were carried out at 6 hillslopes plots. Approximately 24 hours after dye application, a vertical soil face was excavated to reveal stained flow patterns. Preferential flow as macropore flow, fingering, and / or funneling was observed at each plot.<p> Results from the conservative tracer field study indicated soil solutes were flushed by a combination of vertical and lateral flow processes. A large pulse of bromide and chloride was applied across the lower slope of the 0.35-m cover. Soil sampling at approximately 1 and 2 years later determined vertical leaching, lateral translocation downslope, and upwards movement of soil solutes. Matrix flow during the spring melt, combined with matrix flow and / or preferential flow during summer and fall periods, was responsible for the vertical leaching of solutes. Subsurface flow generated in response to the spring melt or due to differences in soil hydraulic conductivity was responsible for the lateral transport of solutes. As a result of advective or diffusive processes, solutes were transported upwards into the overlying soil. These results suggested that despite the existence of preferential flow, there were other mechanisms of solute transport which served to leach and flush salts from the soil.

By examining the interconnected relationship between humanity and the environment we live in, this thesis aims to bring new sustainable design approaches to a toxic industrial area known as the Burloak Employment Lands in Oakville, Ontario. At the heart of this vast site, a new train station is proposed as a catalyst for enriching and nourishing the local community’s correlation to its immediately adjacent natural life. Additionally, the design of this station is embedded within an urban planning proposal that aims to lift the overall quality of life in the community by restoring ecological health to these wounded lands.

By examining the interconnected relationship between humanity and the environment we live in, this thesis aims to bring new sustainable design approaches to a toxic industrial area known as the Burloak Employment Lands in Oakville, Ontario. At the heart of this vast site, a new train station is proposed as a catalyst for enriching and nourishing the local community’s correlation to its immediately adjacent natural life. Additionally, the design of this station is embedded within an urban planning proposal that aims to lift the overall quality of life in the community by restoring ecological health to these wounded lands.

Oil sands mining companies in Alberta, Canada, are planning to create wetlands for the bioremediation of mining waste materials as part of a reclamation strategy. To assess feasibility, experimental wetlands mimicking proposed reclamation scenarios were constructed on mining leases. This research assessed the health of tree swallows (<i>Tachycineta bicolor</i>) nesting on these sites where they were naturally exposed to a mixture of chemicals including unrecovered bitumen, naphthenic acids (NAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Endpoints reflecting health were compared among three experimental wetlands and one reference site. In order to specifically investigate toxicity of NAs to birds, an experimental exposure to NAs was also conducted on a subset of nestlings on the reference site. <p> In 2003 and 2004, approximately 50 breeding pairs (total, per year) nesting on the following sites were monitored: Suncors Consolidated Tailings and Natural Wetlands; Syncrudes Demo Pond and Poplar Creek reference site. In 2003, reproductive success was very low on OSPM-sites compared to the reference site, but was relatively unaffected in 2004. Compromised reproductive performance in 2003 was linked to harsh weather, during which mortality rates of nestlings reached 100% on the site with the highest levels of PAHs and NAs, while they did not surpass 50% on the reference site. In 2004, mortality rates were low but nestlings from OSPM-sites weighed less and showed greater hepatic detoxification efforts (etoxyresorufin-o-deethylase activity) than those on the reference site. Furthermore, nestlings on OSPM-sites exhibited higher levels of thyroid hormones and suffered parasitic burdens (Protocalliphora spp.) approximately twice that of those on the reference site. Several of these findings may be associated with low post-fledging survival, suggesting that wet landscape reclamation strategy is not optimal for avian species and may require improvement. <p> As part of a separate study investigating toxicity of naphthenic acids, twenty nestlings from the reference site were randomly selected for an experimental exposure. Nestlings received 0.1 ml/day of NAs (15g/L) orally from day 7 to day 13 of age while being reared normally by their free-ranging parents. Nestling growth, hematocrit, blood biochemistry, organ weights and etoxyresorufin-o-deethylase activity (EROD) activity appeared unaffected by naphthenic acids. No toxic changes were detected on histopathological evaluation of major organs. These findings suggest that for nestlings reared on oil sands reclaimed sites, exposure to other chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is a greater concern than exposure to NAs. However, this study did not investigate the chronic or reproductive toxicity of naphthenic acids. More research still needs to be conducted as a part of an assessment of the sustainability of wet landscape reclamation because a previous study found that chronic exposure to NAs severely compromised reproduction in mammals.

Syncrude Canada Ltd (Syncrude) Mildred Lake operation is the largest producer of crude oil from oil sands mining in Canada. A saline-sodic clay-shale overburden known as the Clearwater Formation (Kc) must be removed in order to access the oil-bearing McMurray Formation (Km). The potential concerns associated with the reclamation of overburden structures include shale weathering and salt release and migration, resulting in salinization of groundwater, surface water, and reclamation soil covers. South Bison Hill (SBH) is one example of a Kc overburden structure located at the Syncrude Mildred Lake Operation. The general objective of this study is to develop a preliminary conceptual/interpretative model of the hydrogeology of the newly reclaimed SBH at the Syncrude mine site. A number of tasks were undertaken to meet this general objective. The first, and most important aspect of this study was to develop a geological model of SBH including pile geometry and depositional history of the hill. Secondly, to gain an understanding of the field conditions, a program was carried out over 2002 and 2003 to obtain pile physical characteristics. The geological model revealed that there are four main geological sections of SBH of different materials using different construction methods. The field data were used to verify the geological model, which illustrated the differences in hydraulic conductivities and geochemical signatures between the different sections. All information was used to develop a simple steady-state numerical seepage model of SBH to be used as a tool to investigate the response of the water levels of SBH to variations in the model parameters. The model illustrated that groundwater flow is largely controlled by a more permeable section on the south side of SBH and an unstructured Kc fill at the base of the pile. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the model changing the flux into the pile, the permeability of the materials, and most importantly the head value of the tailings facility located on the north side both showing to be influential on the elevation of the water table through SBH.

To predict the effectiveness of land reclamation, it is important to understand how water and solutes are transported within reconstructed landscapes. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of preferential flow on salt leaching in reclamation soil covers. The study site was a reconstructed landscape where saline-sodic minespoil from oil sands mining was capped with layers of glacial and peat mix soil. Preferential flow was investigated using laboratory column experiments and in situ adsorptive dye and conservative tracer experiments.<p> Results from column experiments and dye tracer experiments indicate that preferential flow is an important and prevalent mechanism of solute transport. Column experiments, which used time-domain reflectometry to monitor the transport of a chloride tracer through an undisturbed core of peat mix soil, determined immobile water fractions (èim/è) ranging from 80-99% and diffusive mass transfer rates (á) between 0.15 - 2.0 h-1. Breakthrough curves showed the early arrival of chloride and extended tailing. Dye tracer experiments, in which Brilliant Blue dye was applied in solution to the soil surface, were carried out at 6 hillslopes plots. Approximately 24 hours after dye application, a vertical soil face was excavated to reveal stained flow patterns. Preferential flow as macropore flow, fingering, and / or funneling was observed at each plot.<p> Results from the conservative tracer field study indicated soil solutes were flushed by a combination of vertical and lateral flow processes. A large pulse of bromide and chloride was applied across the lower slope of the 0.35-m cover. Soil sampling at approximately 1 and 2 years later determined vertical leaching, lateral translocation downslope, and upwards movement of soil solutes. Matrix flow during the spring melt, combined with matrix flow and / or preferential flow during summer and fall periods, was responsible for the vertical leaching of solutes. Subsurface flow generated in response to the spring melt or due to differences in soil hydraulic conductivity was responsible for the lateral transport of solutes. As a result of advective or diffusive processes, solutes were transported upwards into the overlying soil. These results suggested that despite the existence of preferential flow, there were other mechanisms of solute transport which served to leach and flush salts from the soil.

Poyang Lake is continuously shrinking and losing its function on account of deforestation and reclamation, causing water quality deterioration, frequent floods and ecological damages that impede economic growth. The research mainly analyzes the cause of Poyang Lake reclamation, its development, and pros and cons through historical literatures. The fact is found from 13th -19th centuries that farmers individually reclaimed the lake had caused external uneconomic problems. It not only negatively impacted local ecology but resulted in economic burden to the local government, who originally considered that the reclamation could bring in tax increases; however, the local financial resources are not sufficient to resolve existing problems. Under the contradictions among economic development, ecological protection, individual benefits and the overall security, the problems will continuously exist. The results of this research give an overall introduction concerning Poyang Lake in China. By illustrating the causes and impacts of reclamation and governances for lake, a relation among a specific political system, economic growth, ecological changes and policies can be demonstrated and underlying factors of flood disaster in China can be summarized.

In this study, nanosized TiO2-containing organic wastewater was treated with a simultaneous electrocoagulation/electrofiltration (EC/EF) process using either a recirculation mode or a flow-through mode. In the EC/EF treatment module, iron and stainless steel (SS 304) were respectively selected as the anode and cathode, and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with a nominal pore size of 0.1 £gm was used in this work. Applied electric field strength (EFS), transmembrane pressure (TMP), and crossflow velocity (CFV) were selected as the operating parameters for studying their effects on permeate qualities and other performance criteria. In the recirculation mode, the residual chemical oxygen demand (COD) was found to decrease with increasing EFS up to the critical EFS (i.e., 166.7 V/cm) and leveled off. The optimal operating conditions were determined to be an EFS of 166.7 V/cm, a TMP of 1 kgf/cm2, and a CFV of 0.22 cm/s. Under the optimal operating conditions, the removal efficiencies for turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TSD), and titanium were determined to be 98.7%, 95.1%, 95.8%, and 99.9%, respectively. By using the same operating conditions except in the flow-through mode, the corresponding removal efficiencies were found to be 98.1%, 92.3%, 93.1%, and 99.9%, respectively. Experimental results also showed that the flow-through mode yielded a higher filtration rate than that of the recirculation mode (namely, 5.05 mL/min versus 4.75 mL/min). This is an indication of a lower extent of membrane fouling for the flow-through mode. This was also evidenced by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs of the post-treatment membranes. In the recirculation mode, a proper practice of backflushing (e.g., a period of 60 min and a duration of 0.5 min) was found to extend the service life of the membrane and to enhance the permeate flux. I so doing, a minimum treatment rate of 90L/hr with a treatment cost of NT$68.10 per cubic meters would be resulted. Permeate obtained was found to meet the criteria of make-up water for cooling towers. Overall speaking, the simultaneous EC/EF treatment module employed in this work is capable of treating nanosized TiO2-containing organic wastewater for the purpose of reclamation.

Surface mining and subsequent reclamation often results in the establishment of large areas of grassland that can benefit wildlife. Grasslands have declined substantially over the last 150 years, resulting in declines of many grassland birds. The dickcissel (Spiza americana), a neotropical migrant, is one such bird whose numbers have declined in the last 30 years due to habitat loss, increased nest predation and parasitism, and over harvest (lethally controlled as an agricultural pest on its wintering range in Central and South America). Reclaimed surface-mined lands have been documented to provide important breeding habitat for dickcissels in the United States, emphasizing the importance of reclamation efforts. Objectives were to understand specific aspects of dickcissel nesting ecology (i.e., nest-site selection, nest success, and nest parasitism, and identification of nest predators) on 2 spatial scales on TXU Energy’s Big Brown Mine, near Fairfield, Texas, and to subsequently provide TXU Energy with recommendations to improve reclaimed areas as breeding habitat for dickcissels. I examined the influence of nest-site vegetation characteristics and the effects of field-level spatial factors on dickcissel nesting ecology on 2 sites reclaimed as wildlife habitat. Additionally, I developed a novel technique to identify predators at active nests during the 2003 field season. During 2002–2003, 119 nests were monitored. On smaller spatial scales, dickcissels were likely to select nest-sites with low vegetation, high densities of bunchgrasses and tall forbs, and areas with higher clover content. Probability of nest success increased with nest heights and vegetation heights above the nest, characteristics associated with woody nesting substrates. Woody nesting substrates were selected and bunchgrasses were avoided. Oak (Quercus spp.) saplings remained an important nesting substrate throughout the breeding season. On a larger scale, nest-site selection was likely to occur farther from wooded riparian areas and closer to recently-reclaimed areas. Nest parasitism was likely to occur near roads and wooded riparian areas. Results suggest reclaimed areas could be improved by planting more bunchgrasses, tall forbs (e.g., curly-cup gumweed [Grindelia squarrosa] and sunflower [Helianthus spp.]), clover (Trifolium spp.), and oaks (a preferred nesting substrate associated with higher survival rates). Larger-scale analysis suggests that larger tracts of wildlife areas should be created with wooded riparian areas comprising a minimal portion of a field’s edge.