Engineers like Shi have been working on more futuristic technologies, like "smart" snowplows that are thriftier with salt, or ice-free pavement. The Oregon Department of Transportation in 2012 launched a pilot program, salting two stretches of road near the states border to avoid the sudden change in conditions. For all those reasons, many state and local officials have been looking for ways to cut back on road salt use. The extra chemicals added to road salt can cause fish die-offs. But most of the state still doesnt use rock salt, aka sodium chloride or table salt. There's some mystery as to who did information technology first. There's less mystery nearly the chemistry. Siy said they're already seeing results, with salt use in some plough trucks falling past more than 40%. The reason, she said, is because the states freshwater bodies are in a crisis: 54 lakes and streams are impaired by high salt concentrations, meaning they fail to meet federal water quality standards, while dozens of others are drawing closer to that tipping point, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. These residents are trying to keep them out. In 2013, the US Department of Transportation established the Center for Environmentally Sustainable Transportation in Cold Climates, whereXianming Shi is an assistant director. While there is not a perfect solution to the issue, there are alternatives that can significantly reduce salt usage without compromising driver safety. For instance, road salt is less effective at melting ice when temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit when it gets extremely cold, other chemicals like magnesium chloride or calcium chloride are mixed in. Each averages more than 10 tons/ lane-mi on state-maintained highways (Table 2-2). Anyone can read what you share. YouTube, Follow us on As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In some areas, that makes the drinking water saltier, bad news for people trying to cut their sodium intake. Known as anti-icing, this practice prevents the formation of frost on pavement, and its implementation has been increasing across New England. . But where does it go afterward? INTERSTATE 70, COLORADO It's a catch-22 of winter driving: To allow faster and safer travel, transportation officials in the 1990s began splashing a salt-based de-icer called . Im not really sure. These include upgrading equipment so that salt is spread using only "closed loop systems" which allow operators to accurately release and monitor the exact amount of salt applied, lowering speed limits during snow/ice events, and having mandatory use of snow tires during winter. Salt has been used to de-ice roads in the United States since the 1930s, and its use across the country has tripled in the past 50 years, Dr. Hintz said. But as America's highways expanded and became ever more crucial to the economy, that changed. "North Dakota Department of Transportation FAQ", "Chrysler Minivans In Salt Belt States Reca", "Chrysler Minivans In Salt Belt States Recalled", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salt_Belt&oldid=1112277497, Economy of the Northeastern United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 September 2022, at 14:59. "The Romans allegedly salted the globe to vanquish their enemies, and we at present do the aforementioned to ourselves at a once unthinkable scale," Edwards said. While table salt helps go along roads clear in winter, information technology doesn't but disappear with the snow. It then costs. But aside from corroding metal and concrete leading to an estimated $5 billion worth of damages each year it also ends up in rivers and lakes, where it has toxic effects on aquatic life. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Environmental activist Sue Nissen wears a teaspoon on a string around her neck, which she likes to hand out to lawmakers during hearings in the Minnesota state legislature. The many benefits that road salting provides, however are matched by some opportunities for improvement. Plus, of course, they don't necessarily pay for all the indirect costs, like the corrosion on trucks or the environmental damage. In New England, road salting is a necessity to keep people safe during snow or cold weather as they drive to work or take their kids to school. Some say Detroit, others New Hampshire. Grist is the only award-winning newsroom focused on exploring equitable solutions to climate change. Each week, we explore unique solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. We can still have our winter mobility and be safe with less salt., To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Ingestion of these minerals can cause a varying degree of symptoms and health issues. Known as one of the greenest commercial buildings in the world, since it opened its doors on Earth Day in 2013 the Bullitt Center has been setting a new standard for sustainable design. :We employ millions of tons of salt to melt ice from roads. AAA suggests drivers wash and clean their vehicles regularly during winter to help offset the effects of road salt and to limit driving when salt and other de-icing chemicals are at their highest concentrations. Every state allowing legal sales applies an excise tax to cannabis based on the product's quantity, its price, or both. Road salt is made from sodium chloride, the same chemical found in table salt. By 2013, 26 states were sprinkling roughly 17 million tons of salt on their roads each winter. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. At the top are five New England states that used the most salt per mile of road lanes over the past four years: The agency has since reduced using salt crystals, which are less effective because. Ice removal is a vital service in these communities. As snow and ice melt on roads, the salt washes into soil, lakes and streams, in some cases contaminating drinking water reservoirs and wells. ITEP . In the Adirondacks in upstate New York, a 2019 study found that 64 percent of wells tested for sodium exceeded federal limits which can be particularly dangerous for people with high blood pressure or others on sodium-restricted diets. What is MDSS? Of all salt consumed in the United States, about 43 percent is used for highway de-icing, according to the U.S. Geological Survey in 2020. And that'southward only the table salt we know well-nigh. 4) Beet and tomato juice de-icers. A separate 2018 study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology showed that 24 percent of private drinking wells in New York were contaminated with salt that had been used on roads. As part of our commitment to sustainability, in 2021 Grist moved its office headquarters to the Bullitt Center in Seattles vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood. Manufacturer recalls for corrosion issues often target only vehicles operated within Salt Belt states.[3][4]. These solutions may not be scalable to something like a four-lane highway, said Xianming Shi, an engineer and the director of the National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension at Washington State University. Iowa. Calcium chloride (CaCl2) is safer for the environment but is three times more expensive than NaCL and so is typically reserved for use in vulnerable areas. Best management practices are critically important right now, Hintz said. Worse, when all that salt dissolves and washes away,it steadily accumulates in rivers and streams. What this means for wildlife upwards the nutrient chain needs more study. newsletter, Center for Environmentally Sustainable Transportation in Cold Climates. The belt, however, sometimes grows or shrinks depending on the recall. By submitting your email, you agree to our, How America got addicted to road salt and why it's become aproblem, There are huge upsides to salting the streets. Making matters worse, Dugan's squad establish that chloride levels in lakes rose when merely 1% of adjacent state was developed. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. The country used about 164,000 tons of road salt in 1940, U.S. Geological Survey data shows. "Information technology's a very similar state of affairs with the concrete.". Alabama. Peoples mindset is more of this moment, like I want to drive fast through the winter, Shi said. Some say that salts corrosive properties slow down once the salt dries into a crusty white dust all over your car. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Interested in receiving the latest in data and information about the geosciences? Given the amount of common salt used on roads, that'due south a real problem, said Hilary Dugan, a professor of integrative biology at the Academy of Wisconsin-Madison. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Indiana. Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword, Sign up for the It as well can stunt the growth of fish, similar rainbow trout, leaving them more vulnerable to predators. There are huge upsides to salting the streets. Ice melts are often made of sodium chloride, but some other common ingredients are potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride. Road crews dump more than 20 million metric tons of salt on U.S. roads each winter to keep them free of ice and snow an almost unfathomable number of teaspoons. In addition to the testing and use of many of the alternatives described in this article, the initiative recommends using other management practices and policies to reduce the use of road salt. (Sodium chloride is essential for life, but too much of it has been linked with high blood pressure and even cardiovascular disease). Yes, CDOT uses salts on the roads. So in recent years, some states and localities have been looking for ways to reduce their reliance on road salt. New Hampshire has been successful in reducing road salt use through improved management practices and policy. Not ideal: Idaho. All donations matched! See also Does Wisconsin Have A Port? In actuality, salt compound deicers have been used statewide since 1996, with an increase in tonnage applied each year. If the water is mixed with salt, though, the freezing temperature of . Of all salt consumed in the United States, about 43 percent is used for highway de-icing, according to the U.S. Geological Survey in 2020. California also doesnt get a lot of rain compared to other coastal areas, so because of minimal water and less salt, cars in California can have little to no rust at all. It does the aforementioned to pipes that conduct drinking water, causing lead contamination in some places. Municipal highway agencies were not surveyed in this study. States in the salt belt include Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington DC. cars, trucks, concrete, and steel bridges. At the top are five New England states that used the most salt per mile of road lanes over the past four years: Rhode Island (44.2 tons), Massachusetts (34.6 tons), New York (28.0 tons), New Hampshire (25.1 tons) and Vermont (23.3 tons). 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. He notes that there are a handful of different ideas out there: software gives cities more precise weather forecasts to help them use salt more precisely. And so, they can consider new approaches similar the ones in Lake George. Salt consumption in the United States, 1940-2014. Their absence tin pb to worsening algae blooms. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact . Still, little has been done to address the environmental impact of road salt because it is cheap and effective, said Victoria Kelly, the environmental programming manager at the Cary Institute. Utah. 3) Using different chemicals. Salty roads also attract animals like deer and moose (who love licking up the salt), increasing the probability of accidents and roadkill. These salt additives lower the freezing point of water, slowing down the formation of ice; they also aid in traction, and make the solution stickier so less salt gets splashed off the roads and wasted. In our complex society, the public demands that governments keep traffic flowing smoothly and minimize the tragedy of car crashes. The consequences of insufficiently salting roads. (Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service/Getty Images). Possibly good: Virginia. Blue JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. This overreliance on road salt has severe environmental consequences. 0:00. these past few winters, and other options are starting to look more enticing. In January, researchers from the United States and Canada found that even salt concentrations below the threshold considered safe by governments were causing severe damage to organisms. But salt use has tripled since then. Elite Eight: March 30-31. Road salt works by lowering the freezing point of water via a process called freezing point depression. About 15 percent of people in the United States get their water from private ground wells, while the rest rely on community water systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Motorists may be more familiar with some other chemical trait of road salt: its corrosiveness. First Four: March 19-20. Dinwiddie. "And so you're trying to do the aforementioned or a better job with less money. Traditional geoscience departments commonly require 60 semester hours of geology and geology-related elective courses to achieve a BA/BS degree. The US economy doesn't just grind to a halt every time there's a major blizzard. But during the winter,they often wander up to salted roads instead increasing the chances of crashes and roadkill. Road salt. Arkansas. There are common tricks like, before storms hit, which prevents ice from sticking in the first place. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. If anybody calls in and says, I dont see enough salt, she said, they call the applicator and say get out there and put more salt down.. Oklahoma. Xianming Shi is an assistant director. A 2017 written report by her squad constitute that well-nigh one-half of the 284 freshwater lakes in their sample in the Northeast and Midwest had undergone "long-term salinization." This makes salt-reduction programs like Minnesotas crucial, Hintz said, to flatten the curve of freshwater salt concentrations. CDOT moved to using mainly liquid de-icers, a.k.a., mag choride and the like, instead of old-fashioned sand and salt. Deicing chemicals melt ice by lowering the temperature at which it melts. Sometimes youll even receive an anti-corrosion warranty with a new car that lasts a couple years. The 800-mile-long Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which starts at Prudhoe Bay on Alaskas North Slope, can carry 2 million barrels of oil per day south to the port of Valdez for export, equal to roughly 10% of the daily consumption in the United States in 20171. Due to its chemical properties, route common salt can exacerbate the damage roads already suffer each winter when they repeatedly freeze and thaw. Salt, after all, has plenty of drawbacks. Its because they dont use salt on the roads, so dont need rust protection. A lot of modern rust issues are specific failures arch liners rubbing through paint, and blocked drainage channels. French makes are pretty good for not rusting., Your email address will not be published. I plowed and supervised snow and ice removal in the Cleveland, Ohio area for over . more futuristic technologies, like "smart" snowplows that are thriftier with salt, or ice-free pavement. A salt and plow truck sat abandoned after sliding off the road in icy conditions in Stafford County, Va., this week. De-icing allows traffic to keep moving, a benefit worth many billions of dollars. For the rest of the state, it is a no-go. Is there a better way? When chloride levels outnumber other specific substances in h2o, they corrode metallic, and toxic lead can flake off into drinking water. Donate today to keep our climate news free. "You'll probably see these ideas first tried in airports, or with the military," he says. Officials said the storm began with rain, which washed away road salt and made it difficult to keep roads clear. One 1992, found that spreading salt can reduce car accidents by 87 percent during and after a snowstorm. (Christian Science Monitor/Getty Images). It creates a salty surface when it does snow etc. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. But the hunt is on especially since America has seen. Building better salt storage sites can also minimize waste. Maybe they just ride around on polar bears all winter. DOT, which uses about 150,000 tons of salt annually, says it applies less salt per mile than do other New England states. The issues encountered in Brick could occur in any of the thousands of public water systems across the country where road salt is used, Edwards said, adding that local water departments often don't empathise the risks of high chloride levels. Road salt also corrodes vehicles and bridges, causing $5 billion in annual repairs in the United States, according to an estimate by the Environmental Protection Agency. It's great for melting ice, and awful for just about everything else. Present-day deposits of rock salt were formed by widespread evaporation of ancient inland seas.4 Rock salt deposits are geographically diverse, but consumption of rock salt is concentrated in the Great Lakes region (see map on reverse). Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. High chloride ratios in the Flintstone River contributed to Michigan'southward lead drinking water crisis, and the aforementioned problem impacts smaller systems across the country as well, said Edwards, the adept who helped uncover Flint'south drinking water problem. At the very to the lowest degree, Shi said, that means expensive maintenance may be needed more ofttimes. In a similar vein, newer Maintenance Decision Support System software gives cities more precise weather forecasts to help them use salt more precisely. And that's not even counting the cost of salting cities or rural roads. When snow fell, local governments would plow the roads and then spread sand and cinders around to improve traction. Though seemingly harmless to us, rock salt can have corrosive effects in large quantities that affects cars, trucks, bridges, and roads resulting in approximately $5 billion dollars in annual repairs in the U.S. alone. There are exotic remedies like adding beet juice to the de-icing mix, which can help the salt stick in place and lessen the amount needed. Worse, when all that salt dissolves and washes away. (Eddie Welker/Flickr). Warnings about the effects of road salt on freshwater bodies and ecosystems first started in the 1970s, said Bill Hintz, the studys lead author and an environmental scientist at the University of Toledo in Ohio. It then costs another $5 billion to pay for the resulting damage caused by salt. Even moderately salty waters tin kill zooplankton, the tiny aquatic creatures at the bottom of the food chain that he said "assistance make a lake function properly." Some experts interviewed for this story say they've even seen upwards of 500 pounds of straight-salt application used per single-lane mile. The most common substance used for deicing roads and highways is Sodium Chloride (NaCl) or table salt known as rock salt when spread on the road because of its much larger granules. Final Four: April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. If the zooplankton die off, Hintz said, it can trigger a chain reaction that allows algae to flourish, causing toxic blooms and affecting native fish species that cant survive in murky waters. Still, these only reduce the need for salt somewhat; they don't solve the problem entirely. Road de-icing can cause increases in sodium and chloride concentrations in drinking water reservoirs, rivers that are sources of drinking water and private and public water system wells. Its an issue that requires attention now, said Bill Hintz, an assistant professor in the environmental sciences department at the University of Toledo and the lead author of a recent research review published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Alaska Connecticut Maryland Massachusetts Delaware New Hampshire New Jersey Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Washington D.C. Illinois Indiana Iowa Missouri Maine New York Michigan Minnesota West Virginia Vermont Virginia Wisconsin The worst states for rust are primarily located in the Northeastern portion of the U.S. Here's How. Some cities have opted for proactive solutions preventing snow and ice from building up in the first place, rather than melting it with salt once its already a problem. "If you take those all into account, then salt is really expensive," he says. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. The Salt Belt is the U.S. region in which road salt is used in winter to control snow and ice. America's habit to road salt the "acid pelting of our time" tin be cured, said Eric Siy, the executive director of The Fund for Lake George, a nonprofit supporting scientific efforts at the lake in upstate New York. Cars are especially susceptible to corrosion after being exposed to road salt for eight years or more, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationGet more car care secrets in this post about how to keep a high-mileage car running. Snowy roads are driving a nightmare salt habit. Data source: U.S. Geological Survey[2], Total cost of rock salt used for roadway deicing. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Salt brines are increasingly used in some areas, but the vast majority is still rock salt. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Microsoft quietly supported legislation to make it easier to fix devices. New Hampshire's state government became the first to use salt on the roads in 1941'42, and the practice spread as the interstate highway system grew. But it helps. Transportation departments can add chemicals to the salt to inhibit corrosion or add coating to steel, but this gets pricey. As snowstorms sweep the East Coast of the United States this week, transportation officials have deployed a go-to solution for keeping winter roads clear: salt. But reducing salt use will only slow down the crisis, not stop it, Hintz warned. The portion that remains on roadways eats away at pavement and bridges. At Vox, we believe that everyone deserves access to information that helps them understand and shape the world they live in. Shi says these are still further off, though, and likely to be pricey. Ive never been, so I cant say for sure., Other states such as Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah are also sometimes considered part of the salt belt.. A 10% salt solution will lower waters freezing point from 32 F (0 C) to 20 F (6 C). Here are the 21 states (plus one district) that youll almost always see listed as part of the salt belt: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington D.C. The salt in those waterways also kills off fish, plants, and amphibians. The brine is used all over the United States. Diluting the salt with a bit of water to allow it to spread can help too. Fay recommends a few simple steps to route crews to limit table salt use and its impacts: Cover salt piles to protect them from atmospheric precipitation and calibrate equipment to ensure proper common salt distribution. Extra salinity can also affect oxygen levels and createdead zones in lakes. In 2009, the USGS said thatabout 2 percent of US drinking water wells it studied had chloride levels higher than the EPA's recommended threshold. "Peradventure your state budget has been decreasing every single year," Fay said. Rhode Island has adopted several measures to reduce the amount of salt needed. In 2015, he consulted with public works officials in Brick, New Jersey, and establish that road salt contributed to corrosion and high pb levels in the township's drinking water. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Ingredients in ice melts can range from seriously toxic to non-toxic. The estimated average abundance of tantalum in Earth's crust is about 2 parts per million (or 0.0002%). "But if you don't, then salt is still the cheapest option, and unless that changes, I don't see it going away for the next 20 to 30 years.". Putting ice or any other chemical cold pack directly on the skin, whether manufactured or not, can cause frostbite in minutes. I have no doubt that this group of individuals will work tirelessly to protect our state from the adverse effects of road salt, Ms. Hochul said. In actuality, salt compound deicers have been used statewide since 1996, with an increase in tonnage applied each year. 2K views, 27 likes, 7 loves, 18 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Dbstvstlucia: DBS MORNING SHOW & OBITUARIES 25TH APRIL 2023 APRIL 2023 No. If sex-changing frogs don't business organisation you, this might: A Washington Country Academy professor estimates the country spends $5 billion a twelvemonth on infrastructure damages caused past road common salt and information technology might not most be enough. The Minnesota bill, if it passes, would be one of the first state laws to encourage smart salting, a way to reduce road salt use while still maintaining winter safety. Ive never been, so I cant say for sure. Cars would don snow chains. He estimates the US now spends $2.3 billion each year to remove snow and ice from highways. A federal study terminal year constitute U.S. monitoring stations in snowy and urban areas had higher chloride levels, and that as they increased, so likewise did the take a chance a nearby water organization had violated federal lead standards.
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