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Showdown at Red River!

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Broadcast Date: Tues 4 April 2006, 12:15-12:30 GMT
Summary: Water Pollution in Old Mining Areas

Press Release
Transcript

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 Synopsis

Red RiverSometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do and clean up the town - or, in this case, the river running through the town!

Scientists at the University of Teesside, in northeast England, are finding new ways to deal with polluted mine water that has become such a problem in this part of the UK, once one of the major iron and steel producing regions of the world.

Skinningrove used to be home to one of 86 iron ore mines in the region. The mine closed in 1958 – but a few years later it started to leech ochre – ferric hydroxide – into local waterways. It forms as rust, causing the river to run red, colouring the stream bed and smothering wildlife.

The ochre can be trapped in filters, but how do you dispose of it?! The University’s Clean Environment Management Centre, (CLEMANCE) have found a way of extracting the ochre from the filter traps and are, under their industrial symbiosis programme, that takes the view that “one man’s waste is another man’s raw material”, recycling the sludge.

Initially it’s being used as a raw material in concrete manufacture – but they’re also investigating its use in the manufacture of discs and tapes for recording materials and as a glaze in pottery manufacture; creating a unique style of local art from what was a legacy of industrial pollution.

Water pollution from disused mines is a world-wide problem. Now there’s a new research team in town – and they’re looking to clean up big time!!

Footage
- Graphic map showing location of Skinningrove and surrounding area
- GVs  Skinningrove village
- GVs University of Teesside
- GVs Red River  
- GVs Water testing on location and in the laboratory
- Examples of pottery made with ochre stained glaze

Interviewees
- Dr Richard Lord, Bio-Mediation Programme Manager, Clean Environment Management Centre (Clemance), University of Teesside
- Christine Parry, Project Manager, Industrial Symbiosis Programme, University of Teesside
- Tom Evans, Environmental Officer Skinningrove Area, Loftus Development Trust

 Further Resources
 General Information

ALL STORIES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL APTN SUBSCRIBERS ON TUESDAY 04 APRIL 12:15 TO 12:30 GMT. AVAILABLE FOR GENERAL VIEWING FROM 09:00 GMT ON TUESDAY 04 APRIL. ALL SCRIPT INFORMATION AND VIDEO PREVIEWS ON WWW.RESEARCH-TV.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL RESEARCH-TV ON: 44 (0) 207 004 7130.

Page contact: Tracy Playle Last revised: Fri 28 Apr 2006
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