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# Acid-mine sludge may work in a soil blend—but not as soil itself
- URL: https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/2026-10-30-acid-mine-drainage-sludge-partial-reclamation-trial/
- Published: 2026-10-30T13:27:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T13:27:33.000Z
- Description: West Virginia reclamation microplots achieved vegetation cover goals under some waste blends.
- Author: Benjamin Worlund
- Tags: acid-mine-drainage, soil-blend, field-trial, Land, Water, Methods, #ecological-intelligence, #brief-2026-10-30, #weak-signal, #peer-reviewed, #geo-north-america

Evidence

Peer-reviewed

Geography

Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA

System

Mine-waste treatment; soil amendments; vegetation recovery

## WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS

Fifteen small replicated West Virginia reclamation plots compared topsoil with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% acid mine drainage treatment-sludge mixes. At later monitoring, the 25% and 50% blends reached at least a 70% revegetation-cover benchmark; pure sludge did not. Sampled sludge chemistry and metals varied.

## WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ

Circular reuse of treatment residuals deserves limited field testing and metal-bioavailability assessment before incorporation into wider reclamation specifications.

## CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY

These are short-duration small plots, not regulatory safety demonstrations or long-term food-chain and groundwater studies. Sludge composition can vary widely.

## SOURCE

Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration — Kerr et al., 29 October 2026  
[View original evidence ↗](https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-026-01750-6?ref=intelligence.wildlandseco.com)

From the Morning Brief · 2026-10-30

[Read the full Morning Brief →](https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/morning-brief-2026-10-30/)