FOCUS Blog

Is Road Salt Bad for the Environment?

Dec 24

Written by: FOCUS St. Louis
Thursday, December 24, 2009 12:10 PM

John Wagner

FOCUS Community Policy Director

You bet it is! We don’t really think about the harmful effects of the salt put on area roads as we make our way around during nasty winter weather. We just want to safely get where we are going. Over time, though, the sodium chloride (the chemical same for salt) combines with rain and/or snow. The resulting saltwater flows into roadside ditches and ultimately into streams, lakes and rivers. The runoff damages plants and animals. Runoff has even been detected in drinking wells in some Northeastern and Midwestern states.

Widespread use of salting the roads began in the 1950s and according to an article in USA Today, approximately 15 million tons of the de-icing material is used each year in the U.S. Despite the damage the salt inflicts, very few alternatives have been developed, although that may be changing. The paper points out that some communities are moving away from just using road salt and instead turning to brine, a mixture of rock salt and water that is applied to roads before precipitation forms on them, preventing ice from bonding to the road surface. Brine is cheaper than regular rock salt and leaves less salt on the road after the storm.

Maryland is testing a fluid made from sugar beets, which is mixed with salt brine and sprayed onto roads. The molasses-based substance makes the mixture adhere to roads better and allows road crews to use less salt and recoat roads less frequently. In addition, it also is effective in lower temperatures, when traditional rock salt ceases to work.

When I am traveling in icy conditions, getting to where I am going safely is my top priority. What the road salt is doing to the environment is pretty far down on my list of priorities. But this does not need to be an “either-or” situation. There’s no need to sacrifice safety for the environment or the environment for safety when alternatives exist. Every little bit helps. Even if these new methods leave half the amount of salt in the environment after a storm we are better off. Perhaps continued research will lead to even better, more environmentally-friendly methods.

You can learn about steps to and benefits of sustainability from FOCUS St. Louis’ Environmental Sustainability Road Map at www.focus-stl.org/sustainability

USA Today road salt article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-12-21-snow-ice-removal_N.htm

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2 comment(s) so far...

Re: Is Road Salt Bad for the Environment?

I am doing a school project on road salt. This fluid that you mentions, would it also be safer for dogs? When i take my dog for a walk, she always comes back with salt in between her paws and causes bleeding.

By Sarah Postal on Friday, January 07, 2011 3:25 PM

Re: Is Road Salt Bad for the Environment?

I am doing a school project on road salt. This fluid that you mentions, would it also be safer for dogs? When i take my dog for a walk, she always comes back with salt in between her paws and causes bleeding.

By Sarah Postal on Friday, January 07, 2011 3:25 PM

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