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  • From: Claude Genest <genest@together.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] gettin' the lead out
  • Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 08:44:07 -0400

I'm extremely interested in phytoremediation Rick becuase there's all kinds of toxic land that can be picked up for cheap and then fixed up with plants.
Some of the best info I found, believe it or not, is from the u.s. Army and U.S. Navy.

Here's a data base of plants : http://www.phytopet.usask.ca/

Here's some links :
http://www.edie.net/library/Features/ENB011.html

By the way, apparently morning glory is another good lead plant.

Not sure of specifics of lead, but overall, I found that a huge amount of shit can be removed really quite quickly - like say 70% the first year, 20 % the second year...but that last 10% may take years and never be removed entirely.

However, the reason it can't be removed is that it's not "bio available" and if it's not bio available, so what ? means it's bound and not really a problem.... This is why they are going to change the laws here in Quebec and make it so that slightly toxic land can be zoned residential ( and making the purchase of said land even more interesting)

Now, this is where PC comes in: The work being done is typically scientific/reductionistic. SInce they need to quantify results, they tend to use all of this plant or that plant. But really, the best results come from a variety of plants working synergistically ( surprise!) And furthermore, some of the best plants for the purpose are good old weeds - Nettles in particular ( especially with copper).... also, willow and poplar....

Finally, the plants themselves are actually doing only part of the work, the soil bacteria, microorganisms etc. are the real story ( surprise !) So, the trick is to do it up PC style: Bring in lots of organic waste, swale it out, sprinkle on a bunch of rock dust, plant like hell ( buckwheat, alfafa, mustard) encourage weeds, and let her rip.... This approach wouldn't fly with the suits, but it''l heal your land....


On Friday, June 13, 2003, at 03:18 AM, Rick Valley wrote:

From: Claude Genest <genest@together.net>

Mustard, Sunflowers, Sesbania..

So does "a few years" do it? Any idea how they pull the lead out of the
ground?

-Rick

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Best Regards,
Claude William Genest

www.greenmountainpermaculture.com
Green Mountain Permaculture: Solutions, Sustenance, Sustainability

"What Permaculturalists are doing is the most important work being done on the planet."
David Suzuki

"The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land."
Abraham Lincoln

"Clever men solve problems, wise men avoid them."
Albert Einstein






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