Snowy roads are driving a nightmare salt habit. Tantalum, a rare, very hard transition metal, does not occur naturally in metallic form. 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). 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. Road table salt typically consists of sodium and chloride. In some areas, that makes the drinking water saltier, bad news for people trying to cut their sodium intake. A city worker threw salt from a truck in New York City last year. Please enter a valid email and try again. 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." 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. But while pouring tons of salt on roads makes winter driving safer, it also has damaging environmental and health consequences, according to a growing body of research. And that's just today. 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). Bill Kern, the countys highway commissioner, said switching to a brine solution had enabled the county to cut its salt use by up to 60 percent since 2018 without an increase in the number of accidents. Maybe Alaskans dont like road salt. And that's not even counting the cost of salting cities or rural roads. Welcome to Oregon, indeed. In addition, road salt can also infiltrate nearby surface and ground waters and can contaminate drinking water reservoirs and wells. Google Pay. BleachedBora Vendor , w/Business number Joined Oct 16, 2003 Location Gresham, Oregon TDI ", "Unfortunately," he added, "we may not see whatever visible symptoms before it is too late.". The American Geosciences Institute represents and serves the geoscience community by providing collaborative leadership and information to connect Earth, science, and people. The chemical is effective at keeping roads free of snow and ice, but it also has damaging consequences, according to a growing body of research. "It's like when people historic period, their bones lose calcium and go brittle and are more than likely to crevice," Shi said. Road Salt Works. 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. For example, sharing real-time information about road conditions can help road maintenance crews know how much salt to use, reducing oversalting. It then costs another $5 billion to pay for the resulting damage caused by salt. In the U.S., using salt to de-ice roadways is a technique dating to at least the late 1930s. 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.. Shi studies how connected infrastructure, such as cars tapped into an information-sharing network, can increase winter road safety. Sodium chloride isn't the only chemical that can lower the freezing point of water. And so, they can consider new approaches similar the ones in Lake George. More than 20 million metric tons of salt are poured on U.S. roads each winter, according to an estimate by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York, and the environmental costs are growing. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/climate/road-salt-water-supply.html. 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. [3], Road salt is a common cause for corrosion of automobile parts, and cars in the salt belt often experience more rapid rusting compared to other regions of the country, rendering them unsafe as brake lines, electrical wiring, and structural components are adversely affected. Dr. Hintz said his review showed that elevated salinity levels in freshwater ecosystems had already caused a reduction in the abundance and growth of freshwater organisms and a reduction in their reproduction outputs. De-icing allows traffic to keep moving, a benefit worth many billions of dollars. Road salt is made from sodium chloride, the same chemical found in table salt. Nebraska. Sweet 16: March 28-29. North/South Dakota. While Americans may dream of a white Christmas, living with snow the rest of the season is driving a nightmare common salt habit. NCAA . Salt in the U.S. (million metric tons)1 Consumption: 56.5 Production: 45.3 Imports: 20.1 Exports: 0.94 Rock salt (million metric tons)2 Consumption: 27.9 Consumption for roadway deicing: 24.5 Domestic production capacity: 22.9 Top producing states*: Louisiana: 7.3 New York: 6.3 Ohio: 5.4 Top consuming states: New York: 3.6 Ohio: 3.5 Illinois: 3.0 Privacy Policy. But the hunt is on especially since America has seen major salt shortages these past few winters, and other options are starting to look more enticing. Nineteen of the 22 states we contacted regulate storage; three do not. It's unlikely, for instance, that we'll get self-heating roads in remote mountain passes, where ice is really a problem. Michigan. ClearRoads information shows winter maintenance is expensive. Ive never been, so I cant say for sure. The consequences of insufficiently salting roads. As with all highway maintenance activities, there are environmental implications from winter road maintenance, the organization said in a statement. Another technology gaining traction is solar roads, made up of engineered solar panels that can be walked and driven upon. High sodium levels in drinking water affect people with high blood pressure, and high chloride levels in surface waters are toxic to some fish, bugs, and amphibians. They use salt here in Tennessee, but since snow is not that much of an occurance, rust is not an issue here. Winter Road Treatments What kinds of road treatments and techniques does CDOT use? The town spent over $1 million to install the first 250,000 square feet of underground tubing, and the system still only encompasses a few streets in Hollands main downtown shopping area, although Sasamoto said it could expand along with future development. Blue This table illustrates who is allowed to access federal public lands, the permits and expertise required to use them, and whether or not public lands are open to commercial development for any number Overview
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. Maybe Alaskans dont like road salt. It bankrupt 1 1000000 tons in 1954, 10 1000000 in 1985, and now averages more than than 24 million tons a year. Ice melts are often made of sodium chloride, but some other common ingredients are potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride. Perhaps the most unexpected effect comes with land animals. tennessee. Missouri. But convincing them is a challenge, she said, because people have come to associate the sight of salt with winter safety. Go through a car wash that has an under-spray, says Manager of Vehicle Services at Firestone Complete AutoCare, Joe Roger That will try to reduce the chances that all that salt and salt water will get on the vehicle and start to corrode., Your paint, if you havent properly waxed, Fuel tanks and other components if there are bad welds. Facebook, Follow us on Maine, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin have the most detailed policies. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Still, three states have no standing policy for salt and sand use. Is there a better way? 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. It does the aforementioned to pipes that conduct drinking water, causing lead contamination in some places. Furthermore, excess road salt accumulates on roadside areas killing roadside plants and harming wildlife that eat the salt crystals. 4.1K views, 50 likes, 28 loves, 154 comments, 48 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7th District AME Church: Thursday Morning Opening Session This allows commuters to travel to the hospital for those who need it and for emergencies. He estimates the US now spends $2.3 billion each year to remove snow and ice from highways. How do you clean a silver chain that turned black? So in recent years, some states and localities have been looking for ways to reduce their reliance on road salt. At the top are five New England states that used the most salt per mile of road lanes over the past iv years: Rhode Isle (44.2 tons), Massachusetts (34.vi tons), New York (28.0 tons), New Hampshire (25.1 tons) and Vermont (23.3 tons). Data source: U.S. Geological Survey[2], Total cost of rock salt used for roadway deicing. And the salty soil near roadways can kill trees and other plants. New York. But environmental activists and scientists argue that its possible to maintain winter safety while reducing the amount of salt spread on streets and highways. The real dream is that one day we might havepavement that's resistant to freezing, or roads that can heat up to melt ice (solar-powered roads, perhaps). Relyea studies what that means for aquatic life. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. You are free to share or distribute this material for non-commercial purposes as long as it retains this licensing information, and attribution is given to the American Geosciences Institute. If the water is mixed with salt, though, the freezing temperature of . Data source: U.S. Geological Survey. The extra chemicals added to road salt can cause fish die-offs. Twitter, Follow us on Motorists may be more familiar with some other chemical trait of road salt: its corrosiveness. Top 3 producing states: LA (32%), NY (27%), OH (24%). Innovative solutions that limit the amount of rock salt needed are also being explored. Top 3 consuming states: NY (13%), OH (12%), IL (11%). 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Salt (sodium chloride) is a popular deicing chemical because it is cheap and abundant. In extremely cold temperatures, sand can freeze in hazardous clumps. kentucky. But during the winter,they often wander up to salted roads instead increasing the chances of crashes and roadkill. De-icing allows traffic to keep moving, a benefit worth. Snow in SC is very rare. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Siy said they're already seeing results, with salt use in some plough trucks falling past more than 40%. 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." 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. The brine is used all over the United States.
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