Conversion of hydrocarbon-contaminated particulate soil and/or rock to fertile soil useful in erosion control

A process for converting an infertile mixture of hydrocarbons with particulate soil, rock, or both rock and soil, said infertile mixture being free of plant growth-inhibiting concentrations of water soluble salts, to soil capable of sustaining growth of plant species that reduce the tendency of soil in which they grow to undergo erosion by movement of a fluid over the surface of the soil, said process comprising operations of:

• (I) blending said infertile mixture with at least one of:
• particulate biomass and
• particulate material selected from the group consisting of the oxides, hydroxides, and carbonates of calcium, and the oxides, hydroxides, and carbonates of magnesium, and mixtures of any two or more thereof
• to generate a compostable aggregate in which the ratio by mass of organically bonded carbon to organically bonded nitrogen is not more than 500:1.00 and the ratio by mass of total organic chemical substances to total inorganic chemical substances exclusive of water in the compostable aggregate is at least 0.10:1.00;
• (II) forming from said compostable aggregate and, optionally, additional water, at least one pile of the compostable aggregate that is supported by a base and 20 has an exterior surface in contact with the natural atmosphere;
• and
• (III) aging the pile or piles forming in operation (II) as recited above in contact with the natural atmosphere until the ratio by weight of organically bonded carbon to organically bonded nitrogen within the pile is not greater than 20:1.0,
• whereby the aged pile or piles become said soil capable of sustaining growth of plant species that reduce the tendency of soil in which they grow to undergo erosion by movement of a fluid over the surface of the soil.