Reclamation treatments increased soil pH, and the post reclamation acid minespoils are now neutral and within nonsaline range. The reclamation also increased soil organic C content in the soil profile. At the end of 8 yr, the reclamation with borrowed topsoil was clearly the best, and soil development in borrowed topsoil (BTS) plots was evident by high water-stable aggregation, mean weight diameter, and soil organic C. Among flue gas desulfurization by-products + yard waste compost (FGDC) and flue gas desulfurization by-products (FGD) treatments, although most soil physical and chemical properties remained similar, soil organic C content was higher for the FGDC than FGD treatment for both depths. Therefore, FGDC can be used as an effective reclamation material, especially when topsoil is unavailable and costs of transport of FGD is low. Soil organic C in the FGDC was much higher in both depths than FGD (5.1 Mg ha⁻¹ in 0- to 10-cm and 9.5 Mg ha⁻¹ in 10- to 20-cm depth). With respect to unreclaimed spoil (SP) (or time zero), about two-fold increase in soil organic C was observed in FGDC for both depths. Increases in the soil organic C content for reclaimed plots during the 8-yr period clearly demonstrated their C sink potential.

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