Scholarly record
THE LEGACY OF SALT MINING AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES IN CHESHIRE, ENGLAND
Abstract
The town of Northwich in Cheshire, England has played host to the salt mining industry for 300 years and was the cradle of the modern heavy chemical industry with which it has been associated for approximately 200 years. Historically, the dumping of waste from these industries on adjacent land was unregulated leading to substantial accumulations of вЂlegacy industrial solid waste’ (LISW) arising from many processes including brine evaporation and the Leblanc and Solvay processes for soda ash production. This project aims to assess the ongoing environmental impact of LISW around Northwich through a combination of detailed land use history assessment from archival maps and other records, combined with field mapping and laboratory analysis. Part of the site has a history of salt mining and brine extraction with subsequent mine collapse and subsidence causing the formation of saline ponds or “flashes”. These have been used subsequently as waste disposal lagoons by the chemical industry and their containment storage volumes increased with engineered bunds constructed from ash, lime and clinker. Representative samples of LISW have been characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Xray fluorescence (XRF). The analytical data have been interpreted in the context of the site’s history since the mid 19th century enabling the construction of a conceptual model of environmental impact over the past two centuries. The rise and decline of the local industry is revealed through the appearance and dereliction of factory works, and the expansion of the waste tipping areas, whilst advances in production technology and changing raw material sources are evident through changes in LISW type and composition. The results of this study have revealed that although the LISW does not pose a toxic risk, it continues to have a substantial effect on the local environment and water courses.
Publication details
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