RRTAC Reports
The Reclamation Research Technical Advisory Committee (RRTAC) was established in 1978 to manage the Alberta Government’s reclamation research program, funded through the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund’s Land Reclamation Program. The research program focused initially on plains coal mining, then expanded to include mountain and foothills coal mining, oil sands mining and oil and gas. The program ran from 1978 to 1994 and produced numerous research reports.
OSRIN has digitized 37 of the RRTAC reports including:
· all of the reports prepared under RRTAC’s Oil Sands Reclamation Research Program;
· a number of reports of general interest (e.g., salinity, topsoil storage, plant suitability); and
· reports from the other research program areas that address oil sands issues (Plains Coal – salinity, groundwater, soil characterization; Mountains and Foothills – wildlife habitat, tree growth, erosion).
TAKE NOTE: These reports are provided to give context and historical information. As they are old they may contain references to out-of-date legislation and policies. Readers should be cautious when using these materials and always refer to current legislation and policies.
Items in this Collection
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1994
In the summer of 1990, research plots were designed and constructed on the Syncrude Canada Ltd., mine site at Mildred lake to test the effect of thickness and quality of replaced soil over tailings sand on the performance of trees and shrubs. Treatments included three cap thicknesses (70, 50 and...
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1994
This report outlines a conceptual and analytical framework for quantifying risks to terrestrial wildlife that might be exposed to solid-phase materials potentially associated with oil sands reclamation. The initial phase of the assessment involved screening the soil-tailings against published...
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Physical and Hydrological Characteristics of Ponds in Reclaimed Upland Landscape Settings and Their Impact on Agriculture Capability
Download1990
Pigot, M. E., Macyk, T. M., Moran, S. R., Trudell, M. R.
In 1985, a one hectare pond developed in the upland reclaimed landscape at Vesta Mine in an area where extensive ponding had not previously been observed. Because of the thickness of the spoil, about 20 to 25 m, and the proximity to the active pit, a few hundred metres, it was inferred that the...
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1990
Trudell, M. R., Cheel, D. B., Moran, S. R., Macyk, T. M.
Between 1979 and 1988, the Plains Hydrology and Reclamation Project (PHRP) investigated interactions of groundwater, soils, and geology as they affect successful reclamation of surface coal mines in the plains of Alberta. The overall goal of PHRP was: (1) to predict the long-term success and the...
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1990
Moran, S. R., Trudell, M. R., Macyk, T. M.
This is one of a series of reports that presents the findings of the Plains Hydrology and Reclamation Project (PHRP), an interdisciplinary study that focuses primarily on hydrologic aspects of the reclamation of surface coal mines in the Plains of Alberta. The focus of the PHRP is to develop a...
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1979
Dermott, C. A., Sims, H. P., Ziemkiewicz, P. F.
The workshop recorded in these proceedings was organized by the Alberta Reclamation Research Technical Advisory Committee as the first step in developing a Native Shrub Research Program for reclamation. While the importance of a detailed literature survey was recognized and is presently...
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1980
Regier, H., Ziemkiewicz, P. F., Takyi, S. K.
Over the past ten years, soil reconstruction in the reclamation of agricultural lands has received increasing attention, particularly in the Plains Coal Region of Canada and the United States. Despite this considerable level of research activity, some time remains before we will know how to...
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1984
Techman Engineering Ltd. was jointly commissioned by the Reclamation Research Technical Advisory Committee and the Oil Sands Environmental Study Group to obtain state-of-the-art information on the propagation of selected woody plants. The purpose was: a) to obtain information on the propagation...
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Revegetation of Oil Sands Tailings: Growth Improvement of Silver-berry and Buffalo-berry by Inoculation with Mycorrhizal Fungi and N2-fixing Bacteria
Download1988
The ability of actinorhizal shrubs to tolerate inhospitable conditions while improving soil fertility and organic matter status has led to increased usage of these plants for land reclamation and amenity planting purposes. Silver-berry and buffalo-berry are two such shrubs which are being tested...