THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1979
Page 7
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United Press International
ARRISBURG, Ill. — A 192-
acre no-man’s land in the Shawnee
National Forest is getting a facelift
with liberal applications of Chicago
sludge.
It is the Palzo Project, 17 miles
southwest of the Harrisburg head
quarters of Shawnee, on strip-
mined land acquired by the federal
government in 1966 and added to
the forest system.
■ he Metropolitan Sanitary Sewer
trict of Greater Chicago picked
up the tab for an application of 51
million gallons of liquid sludge to 81
acres. Shawnee officials are now
negotiating with the district on ap
plying dried sludge to some remain
ing acres in the highly acid tract in
Southern Illinois.
HgGrasses and small trees are grow
ing in an oasis-like setting against a
kdrop of barren untreated acres
and the gray skeletons of trees ex-
ed to the acid runoff,
ne planting of cereal rye was so
it brought offers from neighbor
ing farmers to harvest it and one
said that unmined land in the area
had never produced a crop its equal.
■Foresters from throughout the
nation have visited the tract and
tinning test results have brought
international inquiries.
• 1 . •
I
rung
letected
m Venus
United Press International
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — A
jst rift valley discovered by the
loneer Venus Orbiter probe may
the result of planetary activity
ikingly different than that experi-
iced on Earth.
The 15,000-foot-deep, 900-mile-
ng valley, seems to be the work of
temal planetary forces that have
reed open the planet’s crust,
ese were findings released Wed-
[esday in a report from the National
eronautics and Space Adminis-
ation’s Ames Research Center.
Other information relayed from
Sioneer Venus Orbiter include evi-
ence of a “polar vortex” near
enus’ north pole, a 650-mile wide.
Highly circular region of down-
iwing winds which may be a key
echanism in the planet’s atmos-
heric circulation.
The discovery is based largely on
dramatic new series of photos of
loud formations in the planet’s at-
nsphere.
The report also presents findings
hich confirm reports of virtually
ntinuous lightning between 2 and
12 kilometers above the planet’s sur-
;ace, first detected by the Soviet
nion’s Venera probe last De
ember.
“Chemical fires” due to reactions
f various compounds in the super-
leated atmosphere have been cited
is a possible source for these erup
tions of light, which occur as fre
quently as 25 times per second.
Electrical discharges like those
which cause lightning on Earth also
have been cited as a possible source
although increased intensity close to
the planet’s surface and the un
usually steady character of the glow
make this explanation less likely.
The probe’s magnetometer also
has identified what seem to be
unique magnetic field structures in
the planet’s ionosphere. Scientists
suggest these magnetic structures
may be caused by the strong “solar
wind” coming into contact with the
planet’s ionosphere.
Polar bear
dies in zoo
after beating
United Press International
■ ST. PAUL, Minn. — An intruder
h at the Como Zoo apparently beat to
r death Kuma, the zoo’s popular polar
& bear, with a piece of pipe and a con-
vCrete block. Zoo Director John
* Fletcher said the beating took place
after hours.
^ Police said they had no early
| |ileads, but Fletcher said it was pos
sible the intruder got in through a
^section of fence that was being re-
paired. The pipe and concrete block
Kwere found in the bear grotto Tues-
Kday.
| “I don’t know the reason, but
Sears are the subjects of a lot of at
tacks in zoos,” Fletcher said.
Zookeepers found Kuma dead
*' when the zoo opened. Her mate,
J- Mato, had to be tranquilized before
*!the body could be removed.
The St. Paul Zoological Society of-
j^fered $500 for information leading to
’ the arrest of the attacker and the
’.Minnesota Humane Society added
‘ ;$ioo.
Recently, four huge trucks rolled
into the project with 80 cubic yards
of dry sludge which was applied to a
73-foot square test plot.
Liquid sludge from the district’s
Calumet lagoon was used earlier to
treat the 81 acres of the plot, re
garded as probably the “hottest”
strip mined land in the United
States. It was applied during a three
year period from 1975-78.
Mikeal Jones, a Tucson, Ariz., na
tive and a hydrologist for Shawnee,
is mothering the land restoration
project.
Jones said the strip mining opera
tion, before the federal government
acquired the Palzo acres, recovered
two seams of coal, exposing a double
dose of shale with high deposits of
sulfur.
The shale, exposed to the air and
rainfall, created sulfuric acid in
levels dangerous to man, animal and
vegetation. The mining also created
problems with iron, aluminum and
cadmium.
The runoff from the Palzo acres
flows into Sugar Creek which rims
the plot on the west and then runs
into the south fork of the Saline
River and ultimately into the Ohio
River.
“Normally you can expect three
or four years’ wear out of a pair of
leather boots, but working around
Palzo you can go through a pair in
one year,” said Jones.
Neutral soil has a pH rating of
seven on the acid-alkaline scale with
numbers below it growing
progressively more acid and higher
numbers more alkaline. Before the
liquid sludge applications, the Palzo
acres had a pH of 2.5 — not quite at
the battery acid level but too “hot”
to grow anything.
With a special plow, the liquid
sludge was incorporated into the top
12 inches of the acid soil. The
treatment has brought the pH up to
five.
Jones said the main accomplish
ment of the project thus far is to
cover crops which help check ero
sion. No positive effects have been
noticed yet in the runoff water “but
tests on water on the plots show
good results,” he said.
A Southern Illinois University re
search team planted 17 types of
trees on the treated acres, including
white pine, green ash, silver maple,
sycamore and autumn olive, Jones
said. The best results have been ob
tained with green ash, white pine
and autumn olive.
Jones sees definite possibilities
for the restored area as a recreation
area or perhaps for timber produc
tion. Years of testing remain, how
ever, before it will be known if the
land can produce crops or cattle that
could be safely consumed by man.
■
I
THE BATT
DOES IT
DAILY
Monday
through Friday
The Cow Hop
RESTAURANT
WITH ANOTHER GREAT BURGER!
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“AN AGGIE TRADITION"
846-1588
317 UNIVERSITY DR.
(NORTHGATE)J
WOODSTONE
GRAND OPENING
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Grand Opening Special Offers!
REG.
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Ms. Gripper (Saucony) 24.95
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Tom Okker (Adidas) 34.95
Fred Perry T-311 (Etonic) 21.95
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Poly Match 5 22.95 16.95
Dove (Saucony) 20.95 13.95
Quickstar (Converse) 29. 95 24.95
Staubach (Brooks) 9.95 6.95
Come By This Saturday
And Meet Former Aggie & Current Pro Greats
ED SI MONIN I, FRANK MYERS & MARK DENNARD
ED SIMONINI — Many said Simonlnl
would be too small for pro football but
after his rookie season, Simonlnl has been
a starting linebacker, for the Baltimore
Colts for the past 2 seasons. Simonini,
who Is one of the most popular players
ever to play at A&M, was an all-SWC
selection four times, a rare honor. Simo
nini helped A&M produce one of the
nation's best defenses in 1975.
Texas A&M
University
FRANK MYERS, 6-4, 255, A two-time all-
SWC choice at offensive tackle. Drafted
by the Minnesota Vikings where he started
much of the 1979 season.
MARK DENNARD, the 6-2, 245-pound
center was an all-SWC selection his last
season at A&M (1977) and was drafted
by the Miami Dolphins where he spent
most of the season last year on the dis
able list.
Honorable mention ail-american his
junior year.
Athletic Attic is located
behind Monterey House.
WOODSTONE SHOPPING CENTER
907 HARVEY RD. (HWY.30)
693-1609