DRAFT 3 The effects of run-off from the coal burning plant on Four Mile Creek

This topic submitted by Nathaniel Gay, Sophia Turczynewycz, JoElyn Eppley, Kevin Connway on 3/6/03. [ Rivers Team: Nathaniel Gay, Sophia Turczynewycz, JoElyn Eppley, Kevin Connway-Section: Cummins/Kaufman]

Introduction:

In our project, we intend to prove that Miami University has significantly altered the biodiversity, the chemical composition and the geomorphological state of Four Mile Creek. We plan to use multiple methods of research and experimentation to prove our theory. Many readings pertain to the effect on rivers, streams and watersheds as a result of human interference and urbanization. The construction and expansion of Miami University near the Four Mile Creek is an example of urbanization of a previously undeveloped area. By examining how Four Mile Creek has changed since the conception of Miami, we will be able to determine what affect such urbanization has on waterways.
To narrow our project down, we plan to focus on the coal burning plant that sits behind Peabody Hall to research a specific aspect of Miami University. We plan to take an interdisciplinary approach in our study. We will study how the plant has affected Four Mile Creek ecologically, why the plant was built and why it was built behind Peabody Hall. Our hypothesis is that the coal burning plant has had detrimental effects on Four Mile Creek.
We hypothesize that the ground runoff of coal and coal dust particles from the paved area immediately surrounding the plant will be present in the water of Four Mile Creek, which lies downhill from the plant less than a half-mile to the east. We also hypothesize that the presence of the coal particles will have a detrimental effect on the biological life of the area of Four Mile Creek we will test. To establish to effects of the coal, we will also test an area of Harpers Run, a creek similar to Four Mile Creek but lies upstream from the plant and therefore is unaffected by its runoff.

Relevance:

Books Ð

Blount, Jim. The 1900Õs, A Hundred Years in the History of Butler County Ohio. Past Present Press, 2000
This book presents a brief description of Butler County of the twentieth century. Through this book we will see how the town worked before the plant was built, and we will get a specific date of when the plant was built.

Blount, Jim. Flood: Butler CountyÕs Greatest Weather Disaster. Past Present Press, 2002
This book is a description of the 1913 flood that occurred in Butler County when the Great Miami River flooded. We will be able to use this book in researching background information. It will give us a more thorough understanding of Four Mile Creek and Four Mile CreekÕs watershed.

Cannon, J.B. Fish protection at steam-elctric power plants: alternative screening devices. Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, 1979. We will use this as a plan and resource when planning our own biodiversity testing, as well as when analyzing the results of our tests.

Cummins, Hays et al. WCP 261 v. 1 and 2 Western Rivers. Oxford Copy Shop, 2003 The reader feeds into the environmental justice aspect of our project, as well as basic background information in river and stream health/testing.

Davis, Wayne T. and Noll, Kenneth E. Power generation: air pollution monitoring and control.
Anne Arbor Science Publishers, 1976 This book will help us understand the scientific aspects of air pollution as well as understand the full effects and cycles one type of pollution can have on the whole environment.

Diamant, Rolf. A CitizenÕs Guide to River Conservation. Conservation Foundation, 1984 The title says it all. This book focuses on river conservation and how a simple citizen can take part in it. It will give us a clearer basis of understanding what full effect a single action can have on an entire watershed.

Fraser, J.C. Determining Discharges for Fluvial Resources. 1975 This book deals with improving river environment for fish, measuring stream health and water resource development. It will help us develop a specified plan on how we will test Four Mile Creek.

Havighurst, Walter. The Miami Years: 1809-1984. Oxford Printing Company, 1958
This book is an overview of MiamiÕs history written by someone who is a distinguished faculty member of the University. It shows the growth and expansion of Miami from underdeveloped land to a public ivy. It will give us a clearer understanding of how Miami University and the Four Mile Creek functioned before the plant was built.

Hover, John C. et al. Memoirs of the Miami Valley. Robert O. Law Company, 1919
This book is a history of the Miami Valley broken up into different counties, including Butler County. Again, this book shows the development and growth of the Miami Valley. It will give us a clearer understanding of how the Four Mile Creek and Miami University functioned before the plant was built.

Maxwell, J.D. Economics of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and ash control systems for coal-fired utility power plants. U.S. EPA, Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory, 1985 This book is an incredible aspect to our project. Not only does it cover the economics of coal-fired utlity power plants, but it specifically covers the issue of sulfur, which is our main scientific research aspect.

Migel, Michael J. The Stream Conservation Handbook. Crown Publishers, 1974.
This book focuses on stream conservation, fish habitat improvement and fish stocking. This book will give us a better understanding of how Four Mile Creek functions.

Milligan, Jack D. Effects of coal-ash leachate on ground water quality. 1980
This will be helpful in examining the environmental aspects and ground water pollution
from coal-fired power plants.

Myers, Robert H. Collection of Oxford Information. The Chamber, 1971-1983
This provides information on Oxford, including a booklet on how Oxford is an Òideal
place to live, work, play, and enjoy.Ó This discussing quality of life, which could easily be influenced by the fact that there is a coal-burning plant in Oxford.

Noyes, Robert. Cogeneration of steam and electric power. Noyes Data Corp. 1978 This book will give us an idea of the general workings of a steam/ coal-burning plant including emmisions and possible contaminations to surrounding environments.

Sanders, Randall E. A Guide to Ohio Streams. The Ohio Chapter of American Fisheries Society,
2000
This book is a brief reference to OhioÕs streams and watersheds. It will give us a better understanding of Four Mile Creek and its surrounding watershed.

Shannon, Robert H. Handbook of Coal-Based electric power generation: The Techonology,
Utilization, Application and Economics of coal for generating electirc power. Noyes
Publications, 1982
This book will be helpful in learning the basics in coal burning.

Websites:

Miami Conservancy State of Water Resources, ÒOverview of the Great Miami River WatershedÓ http://www.miamiconservancy.org/Water_Resource_Monitoring/Water_Study_Reports/02StateWtrRsrcs8-22.pdf
This site offers various information on the Great Miami River Watershed.

Miami University Art Museum, ÒFour Mile Creek and Bonham, Oxford, Ohio, 1860Ó http://www.fna.muohio.edu/amu/full/barrow.htm
This site displays an oil painting by Charles Barrows depicting Four Mile Creek.

Miami University Natural Areas http://zoology.muohio.edu/naturalareas/#c11
This site gives information on the natural areas surrounding Miami University including Four Mile Creek and Western Woods.

National Register of Historic Places, ÒOhio Ð Preble CountyÓ
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/OH/Preble/state.html
This site provides information on what parts of Four Mile Creek have been established as having historical significance.

Sewage Treatment http://www.cas.muohio.edu/~stevenjr/sewagetreatment/
This site goes over the importance of sewage treatment plans and how it all works.

The Delaware Indian Road http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maggieoh/Migrate/merle2.htm
This site describes Indian roads and migration routes that pass through Four Mile Creek.

Three Valley Conservation Trust http://www.3vct.org
This is the official website for an organization that tries to preserve the natural wilderness of the Three Valley area.

Varying Pollution Through Human Influence: Four Mile Creek, Oxford, Ohio http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/nsfall02/progress02Articles/VaryingPollutionThroughHu.html
This site shows past research and studies done on Four Mile Creek, and is similar to our project in studying human influence on Four Mile Creek.

Our research relates to the larger question of how urban development effects "natural areas". Miami University represents an area of substantial development where there had previously existed wilderness.

Interdisciplinary Approach:
The science aspect of our project will focus on objective monitoring of Four Mile Creek. It is commonly accepted to study the biodiversity of a creek system to determine its health, and we plan to focus on the organisms that rely on Four Mile Creek for their survival. In doing this we will be able to establish the present status of Four Mile Creek. We plan to focus scientifically on sulfate but additionally we will also utilize tests for determining certain elements and compounds in the creek water, such as nitrate, dissolved oxygen.
In regards to the social sciences, weÕll examine why the plant was built on Western, researching political reasons. For humanities, we will interview the plant workers, Western professors, longstanding Oxford residents, other locals, etc.

Research Design

We will scientifically monitor the stretch of Four Mile Creek that lies directly down hill from the plant. This entails evaluation on biodiversity (the monitoring of plant and animal life), examination of geomorphological health, and tests for the presence of coal particles in the water. We also perform the same studies an area of Harpers Run, a nearby creek that shares the same basic biological and geological qualities of or testing area of Four Mile Creek, but lies upstream from the plant and therefore is free from any possible run-off of coal particles. This section of Harpers Run will act as a control sample in our experiment. Using it as the norm, we will judge the disturbance to Four Mile Creek.
We will interview Jim Blount, a local historian of Butler County, and Phillip K. Shriver, historian and former president of Miami University, to establish the historical context of the plant, determining when the plant was built, who initiated its construction, why the plant was built at its specific location on Western Campus.

Materials and Methods

For general background information on coal burning plants, we will utilize J. D. MaxwellÕs Economics of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and ash control systems for coal-fired utility power plants and Jack MilliganÕs Effects of coal-ash leachate on ground water quality. This will tell us the general in and outÕs of coal burning plants: how exactly they work, how they produce energy, and the effects they have on the surrounding environment.
To monitor the streams, we will utilize testing kits from the science lab at Boyd Hall. We will also observe the wildlife that inhabits the testing areas of the streams. For background information on streams, we will consult Michael MigelÕs The Stream Conservation Handbook, Randall E. SandersÕ A Guide to Ohio Streams, Rolf DiamantÕs A CitizenÕs Guide to River Conservation, and other texts.
We will interview local Butler County historian Jim Blount and former Miami University president Phillip Shriver for historical background on the plant. Blount is the author of several texts on the history of Butler County, including The 1900Õs, A Hundred Years in the History of Butler County Ohio and Flood: Butler CountyÕs Greatest Weather Disaster, both of which we are using in the project. We also are using the writings of former Miami University professor Walter Havighurst, such as The Miami Years: 1809-1984. The writing of all three men will give us insight to the growth and development of Miami University leading up to, during, and after the construction of the coal burning plant.

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