Using too much salt as a de-icer may create environmental problems. How is the city preparing for the 2011/2012 winter season? What can I do for my own property?
Salt de-icer (sodium chloride) is often used for streets, sidewalks and driveways in many cities but the City of Greater Sudbury has a number of salt-reduction strategies. They have reduced their salt application rate by 20 per cent through pre-wetting it with a salt brine and using trucks with computerized controllers. These trucks are calibrated and can control and monitor application rates and ambient air and road temperatures. Each year the city (Roads and Transportation) provides all plow operators with training on proper salt conservation techniques.
Salt is used primarily on Class 1 to 3 roads, which includes arterial and collector roadways. Most residential and rural roads (Class 4 to 6) can be safely maintained with pickled sand (sand mixed with five per cent salt) but must have lower posted speeds and traffic volume. With such stipulations, 57 roads were converted from salt to sand application in the 2007 and 2008 winter season. Furthermore, salt is not applied when the temperature drops below minus -12C.
For your personal property, there are quite a variety of alternatives. These alternatives don’t necessarily melt the ice, they simply add traction, which is the ultimate goal. A downfall for these alternatives is that they may stick to your shoes. The two following alternatives help add traction, are safe for plants and animals and can be swept into your yard in the spring.
One of the easiest and least costly alternatives to salt is sand. It can be purchased at most home renovation or hardware stores and is easy to apply and sweep in the spring. One downfall is that sand can clog drains so be aware of any nearby waterways. A newer alternative may be traction products made with volcanic material. This volcanic mineral embeds itself into ice and snow providing a 35 per cent better traction than salt or sand using less material. One downfall is that it comes with a higher price. A few other alternatives you may want to investigate are fertilizer-based products, corn-based products and calcium magnesium acetate.
Thanks to EarthCare Sudbury Partners the City of Greater Sudbury, Garson Home Hardware and The Home Depot Sudbury for responding to this question. EarthCare Sudbury is a network of over 100 local businesses, organizations and agencies that have committed to help Greater Sudbury become greener, cleaner, healthier and more sustainable.
Do you have a question about an environmental issue? Ask an EarthCare Expert! Submit your question online at www.greatersudbury.ca/earthcare, then watch for this column published in the Northern Life for an “expert” response.
Posted by Jenny Jelen
