PC: Mining Remediation Authority
Ochre produced during mine water treatment is being used to manage the contamination safely on site, according to the Mining Remediation Authority. A long-derelict brownfield site in the heart of Chester is being prepared for a new residential development after mine water treatment by-product was reused to stabilise contaminated soil. The approach involves mixing the iron-rich material into the ground so contaminants remain bound within the soil. The project uses ochre from the Mining Remediation Authority’s Deerplay mine water treatment scheme in Bacup, East Lancashire. Ochre is a naturally occurring iron-rich material produced during mine water treatment. The ochre is being supplied and applied in partnership with remediation specialist Rhodar at the former lead works site in Chester.
The Mining Remediation Authority has used ochre in contaminated-material treatment before.
The approach was previously applied during the Mersey Gateway infrastructure project, where ochre supported the safe management of arsenic-contaminated soils at scale.
How will the remediation help bring 126 new apartments to the site
The remediation works will enable a proposed residential development of 126 new apartments at a prime city-centre location. The project is also intended to support regeneration while reducing environmental impact. Repurposing ochre gives a mine water treatment by-product a second use instead of treating it as waste. “This project demonstrates how materials produced through mine water treatment can be reused to address complex contamination challenges. Repurposing ochre to help stabilise heavy metals is reducing risk, cutting waste and supporting safe regeneration of an important city-centre site”. The ochre being used in Chester comes from the Deerplay mine water treatment scheme in Bacup, East Lancashire. The material is collected as a by-product of the treatment process and is now being used in the remediation of contaminated land. The work connects mine water treatment with the redevelopment of a former industrial site that has remained unused for years.