Constructed wetlands clean up utility's leachate

"In constructed wetlands, the cleansing processes (physical, chemical and biological) intrinsic to natural wetland ecosystems occur in a highly engineered environment," says John Goodrich-Mahoney of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). "By controlling, amplifying and accelerating these processes, we can develop passive, low-cost systems optimized for the removal of specific chemicals such as trace metals." As a specific example, he names a constructed wetland near Springdale, Pennsylvania that treats metal-bearing leachate from a closed ash management facility. The project, which is expected to save Allegheny Power $2.6 million, received the 1997 Governor's Award for …