After more than half a century of widespread use of road salt in North America, the environmental impacts of salt application have come under scrutiny by the environmental and scientific communities as well as regulators and legislators. Long-term deposition of millions of tons of salt on impervious road surfaces has resulted in roadside habitat degradation, wildlife kills and drinking water quality impacts, and corrosion of automobiles and infrastructure. Road salt use in the United States ranges as high as 12 million tons per year, with Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York reporting the highest salt loadings.

While many communities claim reductions in road salt use in recent years, no data has been collected to document these claims. These findings compelled Riverkeeper’s Watershed Team to research potential salt contamination of water supplies and cost-effective alternative deicing practices in the East-of-Hudson Watershed. In addition, we partnered with East-of-Hudson municipalities to document existing practices, learn what reduction practices are being implemented, and pilot test some of the road salt alternatives.

In the Works...

Westchester County

Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano and the Westchester many town supervisors are creating a task force to implement a countywide program to monitor road salt application on a town-by-town basis. This will allow Riverkeeper and the municipalities to track road salt application and determine which deicing management practices require less salt application than others.

Town of Somers

In September 2006, Senator Vincent Leibell (R-Westchester, Putnam & Dutchess) secured $121,000 that will be used to install new temperature sensor equipment on highway department trucks in the Town of Somers and allow Riverkeeper to collect data and assess alternative de-icing equipment and methods against current practices. The truck-mounted sensors measure pavement surface temperature, which results in reduced road salt applications when colder air temperature readings would otherwise suggest the need for salting. The pilot project in Somers should inspire other communities to collect and share similar data. This way, the best technology available can be applied to enhance the protection of our freshwater ecosystems and drinking water supplies.

How Can You Help?

• Get out the shovels and salt only when necessary to melt built-up ice after a storm has ended.
  
  
• Help your road crews. Drive sensibly, slowly, and responsibly in winter conditions. Let them know that roads in environmentally sensitive locations must be passable but don’t have to have a “black pavement” policy while the snow is still falling.