Inco's aerial seeding program takes flight.

As the leaves begin to fall, fertilizer has been flying at Inco Ltd. in recent weeks as part of an annual dedication to its aerial seeding program.

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In consultation with the City of Greater Sudbury's Vegetation Technical Advisory Committee (VETAC), the program kicked off once again in late September in an attempt to re-vegetate and reclaim particular areas of local land which have been rendered barren through historic mining activity. Using what Inco officials refer to as miniature water bombers to deliver a specially engineered mixture.

This year, 500 acres of land between Inco's Murray Pit and the Frood-Stobie Complex are being targeted, a number that is up from the 300 acres that has typically been covered in areas such as Coniston and New Sudbury since the program began in 1990.

"We load planes up with a payload of grass seed, lime and fertilizer, and we aerially treat these areas by dumping this mixture onto a section of land that's relatively inaccessible by any other means," says Quentin Smith, environmental engineer, Inco's Environment, Health and Safety Department.

In order to implement the program, Inco contracts two planes from Supermarine Aircraft Inc., a southern Ontario company that has been working with the project since 2001. The aircraft are loaded up with their payload, which is dropped over the targeted areas, The planes then return for additional fuel and payloads before heading back out for another pass.

The process requires seven to ten days, with both pilots conducting 15 passes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, though the exact timing is largely weather-dependent.

Inco has partnered with local experts, including Dr. Peter Beckett at Laurentian University, who in turn has worked with Supermarine Aircraft in order to develop as efficient and scientifically sound payload mix as possible.

This mix is delivered in a specific ratio: the agricultural limestone is included at a rate of one ton per acre, the fertilizer is delivered at 700 pounds per acre, while the grass seed is included at 70 pounds per acre.

The individual elements are also products of various regional collaborations, as even the limestone has been specially selected in conjunction with Laurentian University. As a particular type of value-added pelletized lime, it features a slow-release effect which serves to de-acidify the soil in an evenly distributed fashion. This helps to maximize the effect of the fertilizer and grass seed, which re-green the area and act as a sign of its potential for further vegetation.

By NICK STEWART

Northern Ontario Business