I am only marginally familiar with this project, but know the researchers (Jeff Skousen and Travis Keene) well. The project is a viable research project, although the funding was specifically earmarked from the Governor's Office rather than a competitive proposal.
Developing productive uses for mine lands is a needed endeavor, regardless of whether or not additional mining occurs. The major problem I foresee is a simple agricultural one, is the soil ferile enough to genrate reasonable yields? If not, can it be fertilized, limed, and otherwise improved at a low enough cost to generate cost-effective energy crops. The use of sewage sludge and pulp mill waste as ways to add organic matter are obvious and cost-effective approaches, provided these are not contaminated by indstrial wastes and toxins themselves.
I do not hold out much hope on unreclaimed sites or poorly relaimed sites because these have a lot of some big hard things called "rocks". Harvesting switchgrass is literally "baling hay" and can only occur on sites without big rocks that bust up your hay mower or hay baler. But if suitable sites are used, production of biofuels is essntially a way of harvesting solar energy, and I am for it. Any mineland that can be reclaimed into productive farml and has to be a good thing, because if you an get crops to grow, trees and other wild things will grow back as well. The really bad sites are those where the soil is so poor or acidic that not even weeds will grow.
JBK
Regina Hendrix regina1936@verizon.net 11/29/08 8:50 AM >>>
I don't hold out much hope for this. To me it seems to be just another desperate attempt to excuse the destruction of our state. I'd like to hear what JimK thinks. Regina