Introduction
The City of Detroit is a diamond in the Midwest. The City has seen a powerful economic rise as well as a decline throughout the century. Throughout the history of Detroit, it flourished. This telling history has been a symbol of American problems during our recent recession. Less well-known however, is the rich network of community and institutional efforts quietly breaking new ground to revitalize the city over recent decades. The current situation is gloomy. Abandoned buildings, vacant lots and contaminated areas haunt the City. Areas are increasing in abandonment and contamination while the value of property is going down. The purpose of this paper is to help turn contaminated areas in the City of Detroit into Gardens. This research is important becausecontaminated soil is increasing yearly. Our research is about the recommendation of Urban Gardens to improve contaminated soils. Urban Gardens are gardens that are placed into urban communities to benefit by cleaning contaminated soils and later producing vegetation. The seed program at Wayne State University is currently building Urban Gardens for the University as well as local communities. As the SEED program is a great model and we propose collaboration with the program the audience for further understanding. The SEED program at the WSU says;
“SEED Wayne is dedicated to building sustainable food systems on the campus of Wayne State University and in Detroit communities.SEED Wayne works in partnership with community-based organizations promoting food security, urban agriculture, farm-to-institution, and food and fitness planning and policy development.”
These Gardens are currently growing food and selling the vegetables to citizens of Detroit. From research on contaminated locations in the City, soil testing, remediation practices and costs effective systems we will provide recommendations for the continuation of Urban Gardens.
Our intended audience is all students, faculty, local businesses, researching firms as well as just anybody who would like to see a waste turned into a garden. As volunteers would be a main source of this project, we understand that the project must be welcomed and embraced by the local community to ensure that the garden be being maintained. We believe that once our intended audience hears of these opportunities there will not be shortage of volunteers. As the world moves to become environmental friendly, gardens will be a great start for those interested in contributing and bettering their community.
A great way to earn volunteers is to reach out to local Universities and schools. Universities usually have students that would like to put together a project like this to put on their resume or just help out for the good. Students from fields like Civil and Environmental Engineers, Urban Planning and Social work could surely use projects like this to network as well as learn. Younger students would be great as well because of how interested they usually are to have hands on activities. It is important to show the younger generation that it is always important as a Citizen to better our environment.
Our objective of our research is to provide enough information on contaminated locations in the City with cost effective soil testing and remediation practices. We also want to achieve general local development objectives and operational short turn objectives. Our general development objectives are realistic goals that can be reached by constructing an Urban Garden. Development goals include aspects such as health improvements, improved living standards, institutional improvements such as schools and local businesses. In given time our goal is that the garden will raise the property value and increase employment with the creation of local businesses. Local institutions will benefit from the garden as well by creating learning opportunities. Operational objectives include soil improvement conditions, vegetation growth, and maintenance of the garden.
We expect the process of creating a sustainable Urban Garden in a local Detroit community to take approximately three years. This timeline can vary greatly by the contamination of the soil and the commitment of the local community. With the mixture of volunteers from Universities, schools and the community the time to create the garden will decrease. One day every weekend could be enough to bring out all volunteers to build, clean the garden. It could be beneficial to to organize a team with a leader possibly from the community.
In our method of research, online research and interviews were mainly the composition. Online research has been the most effective due to useful information in little time. Our primary research was done online research. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) was a vital help in our online research. The website provided good information on locations of contaminated areas as well as documentation on materials found historically in Michigan. Our secondary research was email interviews and communication with David Slayton, Geology Specialist Hazardous Waste Technical Support and William Hischke from the City of Detroit Department of Environmental Affairs. The MDEQ website supplied information on materials commonly found in Michigan’s brownsfields (contaminated sites). Mr. Slayton was very helpful in point out locations for finding out further research on contaminated areas. He recommended other websites as well as articles put out by the State of Michigan. Article Unit Part 201, Environmental Remediation, of the Natural Resources and Environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451 provides information on local brownsfields as well detailed analysis on harmful materials found in the soil broken up by counties. The City of Detroit also has an environmental website which provides good information on the Detroit’s districts. All of this information contributed to the detailed research. The SEED program at Wayne State University was a great utility. The website provides great information on Urban Gardens as well as possible opportunities volunteering with the program.
Project users and their prospective
Key beneficiaries of our research would be the SEED program, community interest groups and DetroitandUniversity researchers. The SEED program and community interest groups would benefit from this research,byusing the information of the report which contains alternatives to grow and create urban gardens,ways to makethe best use of the soilsand also ways to remediate contaminated soils , in order to grow healthyproduce.Thehomegrown vegetables can be used as foodbanks for the Soup KitchensaroundDetroit to help theneedy andresidentswho cannot afford to commute to grocery stores that are located far away from Detroit city.
Detroit and Universities will benefit from the research by continuing it in experiments that can be adequately applied to Detroit’s soil. Although we found the best practices for soil testing and remediation we are not sure that these practices can work on Detroit’s soil. On the other hand the best practices may work and it’s all about applying them and researching them more in depth where it is an everyday practice and regular citizens across the world can apply them in their backyards.
Soil Contamination
Detroit sits on some of the best farmland in Michigan. Farms were scattered throughout Southeast Michigan. As the population increased, so did industry. As Detroit's industrial bloom began around 1913, factories were putting out pollutants with very few or no restrictions. In the early 80's is when restrictions started to taking place and control pollution. However, by this time many areas that are currently contaminated were already contaminated. Underground storage tanks were already in place and the Detroit groundwater was heavily polluted.By the 80's efforts to begin to clean what was already contaminated was not a big priority.
Currently within the city limits of Detroit, there are more than 700 urban farms that yield more than 120 tons of produce each year. These urban farms are farms that are put up in Detroiters on lots. However, these farms are not located on contaminated soil due to the long process of cleaning the subsurface conditions and possible dangers that can be present. Different chemicals can be more dangerous than others in soil contamination. As we know vegetation needs certain chemical composition to grow. Phosphorus, nitrogen and potassiumare importantmaterials to have vegetation grow strong. Soil pollutants that cause contamination that are most commonly foundare hydrocarbons, heavy metals (cadmium, lead, chromium, copper, zinc, mercury and arsenic), herbicides, pesticides, oils, tars, PCBs and dioxins. These chemicals can be cause from industry, mining, agricultural processes.
Detroit's economy expanded following WorldWar1with a post war economic prosperity, along with this came heavy industry done within the City. The auto industry had a boom; mining was being done in the City as well as factories began to increase by the Detroit River and Rouge River. With increasing economy and population comes a greater chance of pollutants in the soil.Traffic, underground storage tanks and industry are the main reasonsforsoil contamination in Detroit.
Neighborhoods throughout the City have mainly the same composition of pollutants. However, some neighborhoods are affected by different pollutants due to what is industry are located in the area.The Krainz woods neighborhood is one of the many affected by strong lead contents found in the subsoil. Located on the east side from7 Mile Road and Ryan Road to E Nevada Street, and Mound Road, Master Metals Smelter was built in 1955 and processed and recycled scrap-lead batteries by heating them in a furnace. The facility has been closed since 1983, however the area remains contaminated. As a residential low income, predominantly African American location this area currently is one of the most toxic zones in Detroit.
The West Vernor-Lawndale Historic District is also a heavy contaminated neighborhood. Lead, polychlorinated, trichloroethylene, arsenic are heavy pollutants in the soil. Industry factories operated in the area after World War 1 putting out soil pollutants such as lead and arsenic with few regulations to restrict pollution. By the 1980’s most the factories located in the district were either abandoned or demolished. Within a 2-mile radius still currently are over 40 facilities dealing with hazardous waste with 3 facilities giving off toxic releases. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000)
Remediation
Remediation of soil has many different processes. We researched the remediation practices that will clean up the pollutants that have contaminated the soil. To find the best practices we gathered a criterion that outlines what best practices that we are looking publish. Our criterion includes technical description, cost, skills involved, resource availability, and what exactly the remediation practice cleans in terms of pollutants and other toxicants hurting the soil. Technical description is to describe what does the remediation practice appearance and how does the practice work. Our group is looking doesn’t really have a set preference on how the remediation practice and its components have to appear.
One very effective way to clean contaminated soils is Phytoremedation. This is a process in which plants and trees are used to remediate sites contaminated with heavy metals pesticides, radionuclides, and organic chemicals. Although this technology is relatively new, it is progressing quickly andhas become the preferred method for cleaning up many sites because it is cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and requires little maintenance.
Phyrtoremediation is a cutting edge, environmental friendly practice of remediation. The process consists of fusing together plant cells along with microorganisms. This practice is helpful in many ways. In the process, Indian mustard and sunflowers can be used. Studies have demonstrated to remove toxic metals such as Lead, Cooper and Chromium from industrial waste streams. (Barker 2002) Sunflowers also remove radioactive and other toxic metals from the soil. In addition, Brake Fern soak up a great amount of arsenic without any ill effects, potentially offeringa natural way of cleaning up polluted soils. This plant is the first plant known to accumulate arsenic (which is very dangerous) in extremely high concentrations and still flourish and very easy to find.(Barker2002) Phyrotoremediation cleans heavy metals, and protects nutrients and other the materials that helps the soil. The cost of phyrotoremediation is very inexpensive costing about $25-$100 per ton for soil treatment. When removing organic materials the cost is very low. Remediation for heavy metals seems to cost higher than other pollutants. This can become a problem with the Detroit area, because Michigan constantly goes through constant change. If another researcher were to use this remediation practice they would have to use it at a steady warm part of the year. Another problem with that adds to the climate problem is that it takes longer than other remediation practices.
Vegetable oil is another remediation process that can also be used. Vegetable is very low cost and non-toxic were anybody with the proper researched directions could execute. During remediation process of vegetable oil, the vegetable oil exonerates the PAH’s or (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) out of the soil. Vegetable oil is place on the soil. The soil soaks it up and with time the harmful pollutants (mainly metals) are dissolved. This method is a great, low cost process that takes a fair time amount.
Best Practices
Once a site is suspected of being contaminated there is a need to assess the contamination. Often the assessment begins with preparation of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. The historical use of the site and the materials used and produced on site will guide the assessment strategy and type of sampling and chemical analysis to be done. Remediation technologies are many and varied but can be categorized into ex-situ and in-situ methods. Ex-situ methods involve excavation of affected soils and subsequent treatment at the surface, In-situ methods seek to treat the contamination without removing the soils. The more traditional remediation approach (used almost exclusively on contaminated sites from the 1970s to the 1990s) consists primarily of soil excavation and disposal to landfill "dig and dump" and groundwater "pump and treat". In situ technologies include solidification and stabilization and have been used extensively in the USA
Excavation is a process that sometimes is needed when the pollutants are too much and the only solution is to remove the subsoil. Excavation processes can be as simple as hauling the contaminated soil to a regulated landfill, but can also involve aerating the excavated material in the case of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This process involves the excavation of the contaminated area into large bummed areas where they are treated using chemical oxidation methods.
Solubilization and Recovery, the Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation process involves the injection of hydrocarbon mitigation agents or specialty surfactants into the subsurface to enhance desorption and recovery of bound up otherwise recalcitrant non aqueous phase liquid (NAPL). In geologic formations that allow delivery of hydrocarbon mitigation agents or specialty surfactants, this approach provides a cost effective and permanent solution to sites that have been previously unsuccessful utilizing other remedial approaches. This technology is also successful when utilized as the initial step in a multi faceted remedial approach utilizing SEAR then In situ Oxidation, bioremediation enhancement or soil vapor extraction (SVE).