An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Coal-Burning Plant
By: Kevin Conway, JoElyn Eppley, Nathaniel Gay and Sophia Turczynewycz
Introduction:
In our project, we intend to prove that Miami University has significantly altered the biodiversity of the watershed of the watershed 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 Collins Run 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 Collins Run. The plant sits directly uphill from Collins Run. The plant’s parking lot pushes to the edge of the hill, and there is no barrier to trap loose particles of coal and coal dust. Shipments of coal are transferred to the plant via truck. The load of coal is poured into a large grate in the parking lot and shifts down to a storage facility underneath the lot. There is no barrier surrounding the grate, nothing to stop coal from spreading across the entire length of the lot. This loose coal can hypothetically run down the hill to Collins Run, especially in the event of a rainstorm.
We hypothesize that the ground runoff of coal and coal dust particles from the paved area immediately surrounding the plant will have a detrimental effect on Collins Run, which lies downhill from the plant less than a half-mile to the east. We hypothesize that the presence of the coal particles will have a detrimental effect on the biological life of the area of Collins we will test. To establish to effects of the coal, we will also test an area of Harker’s Run, a creek similar to Collins Run but lies upstream from the plant and therefore is unaffected by its runoff.
Relevance:
Books:
Blount, Jim. The 1900’s: 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.
Cannon, J.B. Fish protection at steam-electric 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 Citizen’s 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 Miami’s 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 utility 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 leach ate 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 “ideal
place to live, work, play, and enjoy.” 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 emissions 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 Ohio’s 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 Technology,
Utilization, Application and Economics of coal for generating electric power. Noyes
Publications, 1982
This book will be helpful in learning the basics in coal burning.
Websites:
Clearwater News and Bulletin 24 April 2003
Enviro Health Action. “Air Pollution and Health” 26 April 2003
Miami Conservancy State of Water Resources, “Overview of the Great Miami River Watershed”
This site offers various information on the Great Miami River Watershed.
Miami University Art Museum, “Four Mile Creek and Bonham, Oxford, Ohio, 1860”
This site displays an oil painting by Charles Barrows depicting Four Mile Creek.
Miami University Natural Areas
This site gives information on the natural areas surrounding Miami University including Four Mile Creek and Western Woods.
National Register of Historic Places, “Ohio Ð Preble County”
This site provides information on what parts of Four Mile Creek have been established as having historical significance.
Sewage Treatment
This site goes over the importance of sewage treatment plans and how it all works.
The Delaware Indian Road
This site describes Indian roads and migration routes that pass through Four Mile Creek.
Three Valley Conservation Trust
This is the official website for an organization that tries to preserve the natural wilderness of the Three Valley area.
Union of Concerned Scientists, Citizens and Scientists for Environmental Solutions 23 April 2003
Varying Pollution Through Human Influence: Four Mile Creek, Oxford, Ohio
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 on the biodiversity in and along the creek. In regards to the social sciences, we will examine why the plant was built on Western, researching political reasons. For humanities, we will study the history of the plant, Western College, and the Miami University in general.
Research Design:
We scientifically monitored the stretch of Four Mile Creek that lies directly down hill from the plant. This entails an evaluation on biodiversity (the monitoring of plant and animal life), examination of geomorphological health. We also performed 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 Harker’s Run acted as a control sample in our experiment. Using it as the norm, we judged the disturbance to Four Mile Creek. We interviewed Curt Ellison, an expert on the history of the Western College, to establish the historical context of the plant, determining when the plant was built, who initiated its construction and why the plant was built at its specific location on Western Campus.
Material and Methods:
For general background information on coal burning plants, we researched the Internet for sources on how coal-burning plants affect the environment, as well as how they affect society. These sources include Clearwater News and Bulletin, The Union for Concerned Scientists Website and the EnviroHealth Action websites.
To monitor the streams, we observed both Collins Run and Harker’s Run to see the difference between one stream that was by the coal-burning plant and one stream that was far away from the plant. To take images of these comparison, we brought along a digital camera. We also used the digital camera to take pictures of the coal-burning plant that sits behind Peabody, right uphill from Collins Run. Nathaniel captured some great images of a truck dumping coal onto the parking lot, as well as other images of the plant along the creek. We used our background knowledge in monitoring stream health from our WCP 261 Rivers: An Interdisciplinary Study class in assessing the health of Collins Run and Harker’s Run. We also went fish shocking to collect data on the biodiversity of the stream. We also used past studies and research done on Collins Run and Harker’s Run to compare data.
We interviewed Curt Ellison to get a good grasp on the background, history and uses of the coal-burning plant that sits behind Peabody. We learned why the plant was built on Western and not somewhere else, as well as other valuable information.
Results:
The Coal Burning Plant in the Context of the History of Miami University and Western College
The coal burning plant behind Peabody Hall on Western Campus was built soon after the acquisition of Western by Miami University in 1974. One of the major considerations in obtaining the campus was room for the expansion of the university, which had been growing steadily since the end of World War II. Oxford was at one time “boasted not less than five separate institutions of higher learning” (Blount 13). Several of those institutions have been observed into the greater Miami University as it grew. One option for accommodation the growth was to expand westward into the town of Oxford. The other was to expand eastward into undeveloped woodland and eventually the Western College for Women. The latter option was chosen, and new construction of buildings took place on the ever-expanding eastern edge of the Old Miami. However, this exposed a rather unsightly part of the university’s physical facilities: the old coal burning plant. The old plant stood at what is now the parking lot of Gaskill Hall, near what is now Spring Street. Before the expansion of residential and academic buildings reached it, the plant was tucked away out of sight within the wooded land. It was an “eyesore” and did not match well with the newer buildings or the clean-cut image Miami wanted to express.
It is small wonder that the university moved so quickly to construct a new plant on the Western Campus. There, it would be out of sight, at least to those on main campus. The construction was part of a larger transformation of Western Campus that took part after its acquisition. The first Miami buildings that were built on the campus were Bachelor Hall and Havighurst Hall, which covered the beloved apple orchard of the old Western Campus. Next came the razing of Alumnae Hall, which stood in what is now the field between Peabody Hall and Boyd Hall. The hall served as classroom space for the Western College for Women, and housed many other important activities. It was a large, impressive looking building that was key to the independence of Western. Claiming that the renovations that Alumnae needed were too expensive, Miami tore it down to save money. However, debate still exists as to the real reasons for Alumnae’s destruction. While it is true that the building did need renovations (In Miami Years 1809-1984, Walter Havighurst calls the building “decrepit”) the claim that Miami could not afford the process is weak, especially considering the amount was spending to acquire the whole campus and construct multiple new buildings on it. Also, the architecture of Alumni was radically different from the neo-Georgian red brick architecture of almost every building on main campus. Miami could have disposed of Alumni in order to maintain a unified architectural image.
The destruction of Alumni could represent disrespect for the Western Campus by the larger university. As stated above, the campus was acquired not for academic reasons, but rather for expansion room. Western was (is?) seen for utilitarian purposes, which lead to the construction of the coal burning plant right behind the most important building on the campus. This construction did not go unchallenged by the Western faculty: as most protest as possible was raised against the plant, but it was little good. The same people had protested the construction of Bachelor and Havighurst Halls, and those building still received the go-ahead. The coal plant was just another loss for the attempt to preserve the old Western.
The plant entailed more construction on the campus. All sidewalks were torn up and replaced with hollow ones through which pipes carrying steam from the plant could reach main campus. If one looks through the grates on the Western sidewalk (one grate lies between Peabody and Boyd Halls) one can see these pipes. Also, the metal bridge directly down the hill from the front of Peabody Hall (the walkway that runs by the Freedom Summer Memorial leads to it) was constructed to cover major piping.
The expansion of Miami University on to the Western Campus continues today. After the first round of buildings, more Miami institutions were plopped down on “the other side of “Patterson.” The art museum is a testament to this. (This happens to be another architectural controversy: the benefactor of the museum attached a clause to the donation stating that the building must be built in a non-traditional style of architecture. This meant no red bricks. Stuck with a building that did not follow the unified image of Miami, it is thought by some that the university tucked it away on Western as to make it less visible.) The most recent example of this is the newly opened childcare center, which sits next to Thompson Hall. More buildings are in the works, such as a whole academic quad planned for the wooded area behind Boyd Hall. While it is uncertain whether or not the quad will actually be built, the message is clear: Western Campus will change according to the needs of Miami’s expansion.