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Environmental impact of road salt

Wisconsin encourages limiting use of road salt to protect waterways

How To Use & Maintain The Tailgate Salt Spreader On Your Truck

No matter what your age, a fresh snowfall means winter fun like sledding, skiing, and snowball fights, can all become a reality. However, on a dour note, Jack Frost also makes the roads slicker. Not only do 70% of US roads stretch across areas that receive snowfall but almost 76,000 motorists are injured every year while snowflakes or sleet are coming down, per the US Department of Transportation. Fortunately, methods like salting the roads help to reduce the likelihood of vehicles slipping and sliding as people travel the streets and highways following a winter weather event. Although some argue there are reasons why road salt for winter ice is a terrible idea, which is why some areas utilize sand instead.

There are salt spreaders you can walk behind, which are ideal for sidewalks and driveways but wouldn't make sense for vast expanses of parking lots or agricultural fields. The perfect tool for these larger jobs is something called a tailgate salt spreader, which can attach to vehicles like pickups, farm equipment, side-by-sides and utility quads. These tools work by using a spinning disc beneath a large hopper that churns and disperses salt in a wide, uniform pattern, creating an even distribution of material as you drive forward. But, if you're going to be out in the elements, remember to consider these winter driving tips to keep you safe while you travel in inclement weather.

What's Involved With A Tailgate Salt Spreader Installation And How Do You Operate It?

A Controller For A Tailgate Salt Spreader© RealTruck.com/YouTube.com

In terms of installation, these products are made to utilize your truck's tow hitch. After mounting the hitch plate to the spreader, you slide the hitch plug over the pickup's receiver hitch and secure it with a hitch pin. However, the installation gets more involved with regard to power. After all, energy is needed for the motor to spin the impeller disc and disperse the salt.

You'll need to run power cables from the spreader to the truck battery and from the engine compartment into the cab for the controller. Remember to secure the wiring with zip ties away from sources of heat, like the exhaust system, and attach a grounding wire directly to the frame. If this process sounds a bit too intensive, you can always hire professional installers to handle the process for you.

Once installation is complete, the control unit, which can be mounted to your dashboard for convenience, features straightforward controls such as on/off and different speed settings, depending on the model you've selected. Simply open the top of the hopper on the spreader and fill it with rock salt or other appropriate de-icing material, then activate the unit using the controller. As you drive your truck, the spreader will treat the surface, making a tailgate salt spreader an excellent accessory to get your truck winter-ready.

What About Regular Upkeep?

Tailgate Salt Spreader Disc That Needs Cleaning© Dylan Stephenson/YouTube.com

Proper care is important for any tool in your arsenal, and a tailgate salt spreader is no exception. De-icing material like rock salt is effective at melting ice because it's able to reduce the point at which water freezes. The problem, however, is that the salt and water mixture that's created is hard on many surfaces and can accelerate corrosion, even on the salt spreader itself. Therefore, it's crucial to always empty out any remaining rock salt from the hopper and rinse it before storing it.

Speaking of corrosion, you should routinely check the power contacts of the spreader motor to identify any development of corrosive material. Products like the OriGlam 3pcs Mini Wire Brush Set work well to clean off gunk around the motor housing, which could negatively impact performance.

Lastly, you'll also want to pay special attention to the spinning disc that disperses the salt, as it can become clogged if neglected. After all, if this part isn't functioning properly, you might end up having to re-salt an entire area if the spinner isn't rotating, for example.

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Read the original article on SlashGear.

Road salt is keeping drivers safe but harming the environment, researchers say | CBC News

People spreading salt on their sidewalk only need one tablespoon per square metre, ecologist says

Ecologist Taryn Smit spent a year researching salt pollution in the Upper Thames River with the Canadian Conservation Corps. (Kendra Seguin/CBC)

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Sprinkling salt on the road or sidewalk after snowfall can make conditions safer for drivers and pedestrians, but can cause harm to local waterways and wildlife, London, Ont., researchers say.

People studying salt pollution are calling on cities and residents to consider the type and amount of salt they use this winter.

"It's still something that we need to use for safety and getting around, it's not an avoidable thing, but we can reduce the amount of salt we use," said Taryn Smit, an ecologist volunteering with Canadian Conservation Corps, who recently completed a project studying road salt pollution. 

The salt used on the road is often the same salt that people have at the dinner table, said Smit: sodium chloride. Salt helps to lower water's freezing temperature, meaning that it prevents ice from forming and helps melt ice already on the road.

"Eventually when the snow melts, all that salty water runs into our streams and rivers," Smit said. 

When organisms, like fish or frogs, are in freshwater with too much salt, they cannot maintain the necessary balance between salt and water in their bodies, Smit said. 

"Think about if you have not had enough water and now you're starting to get headaches, feel sick and dehydrated," said Smit. "The same kind of process will happen with anything that lives in the stream of the river because there's salt in the water."

Taryn Smit researched salt pollution in the Upper Thames River. (Kendra Seguin/CBC)

This can cause them to become sick or die, Smit said, which can then cause a chain reaction in an ecosystem.

Smit said there are some unexpected creatures that are impacted by salt pollution, including deer who are attracted to salt on the roads which can make them more susceptible to getting hit by cars.

Reducing salt usage

In the Upper Thames River, Smit said rural parts of the watershed are doing "pretty well" with salt levels, but there are a few closer to urban locations with salt levels that are close to passing federal guidelines for too much salt.

Cities and their residents should be reducing the amount they use, she said. She recommends first shoveling the snow and clearing the ice before spreading a one tablespoon of salt per square metre. After the snowfall is over, there is still another step.

People spreading salt on their driveways only need to use one tablespoon of salt per square metre, said ecologist Taryn Smit. (Kendra Seguin/CBC)

"Once it's done its job and you're not expecting any more ice, you can sweep that salt up, put it in a bucket, keep it and use it again," said Smit. "That's also a way to use less salt for your pocket to save money."

Salt and corrosion 

Researchers at Western University are also looking into road salt sustainability, specifically focusing on how road salt can corrode metal and concrete.

"We're basically looking at the corrosion behaviour of salt against metals, the environmental impact the salt can cause, the ice melting performance of salt and the costs," said Robert Addai, a PhD candidate at Western who is part of the study.

"Maybe you get cheap salt today but the cost of repairing corrosion and the environment in the future may be higher," he said.

Robert Addai is a PhD candidate at Western University studying road salt corrosion. (Robert Addai)

While the research is still in progress, Addai said his work so far has included looking into nine different types of salt to find out which is the most environmentally friendly. He said that all salts corrode, but inorganic salts such as the commonly-used sodium chloride cause less damage by primarily corroding metal.

Using a mixture of different types of salts can cause even more damage, Addai said, as they end up corroding both metal and concrete.

"Organic salts are corroding the concrete and the cost of repairing concrete is more than the cost of repairing metals," Addai said. "It's good that we stick to the inorganic salt like sodium chloride and calcium products we have been using."

Native Plants Eyed to Tackle Road Salt Pollution | Mirage News

Salt pollution in freshwater is a growing global concern.

Excessive salt harms plants, degrades soil, and compromises water quality. In urban areas, road salts used for de-icing during winter often wash into stormwater systems, posing health concerns and challenges for infrastructure.

Specifically, salts can impact the processes like filtration and contaminate retention basins that are used to manage and treat urban stormwater runoff. Megan Rippy , assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering, is on a mission to understand how salt affects plants in stormwater detention basins and assess whether certain plants can mitigate salt pollution through a process called phytoremediation.

"Plants play an important role in green infrastructure performance, but only 1 percent of plants, known as halophytes, can handle highly saline environments," said Rippy. "This makes it important to characterize the threat salts pose to green infrastructure as well as the potential of salt tolerant species to mitigate that threat."

Rippy led a yearlong study funded by a National Science Foundation Growing Convergence Research program award. She studied stormwater detention basins in Northern Virginia, exploring the impacts of road salts on plants, soils, and water quality in green infrastructure systems. These basins, designed to manage stormwater runoff and improve water quality, face challenges from road salts used during winter months.

The research published in Science of the Total Environment shows that the amount of salt present in green infrastructure systems does reach levels that threaten plant communities. However, relying on salt-tolerant plants to mitigate the program is unlikely to be effective because they simply don't assimilate enough salt.

Salt levels and plant resilience

The research found that basins draining roads exhibited the highest salt levels, causing significant stress to plants. Parking lots were next with moderate salt levels, while basins draining grassy areas had little to no salt stress.

Of the 255 plant species identified in the basins, 48 native species showed the ability to tolerate high salt concentrations. Certain plants, particularly cattails, absorbed substantial amounts of salt, significantly higher than other species.

The researchers focused on 14 detention basins across Northern Virginia, measuring salt levels in water, soil, and plant tissues throughout the four seasons. The water samples were analyzed at the Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory for electrical conductivity and major salt ions. The basins provide drainage for different types of land, including roads, parking lots, and grassy areas.

Can plants solve the salinity problem?

While salt-tolerant plants like cattails showed promise, their impact on overall salt removal was limited. Even in a basin densely planted with cattails, only about 5 to 6 percent of the road salt applied during winter could be removed. This suggests that phytoremediation alone cannot resolve salt pollution but could complement broader salt management strategies that also address winter salt application.

"The amount of salt cattails remove is roughly equivalent to the mass of one to two adults," said Rippy. "That pales in comparison to the amount we actually apply to the roads and parking lots, suggesting that we shouldn't expect plants to be a silver bullet solution to our salinization problem."

Climate change also may alter salt stress dynamics in stormwater systems. As winters in transitional climate zones become milder with more rain and less snow, the amount of salt applied to roads could decrease. This shift might bring salt levels in basins more in line with plants' ability to absorb and process the salinization.

However, regions with persistent snow cover may experience different challenges, such as delayed deicer wash-off and plant emergence, which could affect salt stress profiles and phytoremediation capacity.

Resilient systems for managing urban salt pollution

This study provides valuable insights into the interplay between plants, salt pollution, and green infrastructure. By understanding how plants tolerate and process salt, Rippy is one step closer to developing sustainable solutions for protecting freshwater ecosystems.

While plants alone cannot solve our salt pollution problem, their role in integrated management strategies is critical. This can offer guidance for urban planners, engineers, and environmental scientists to design more effective stormwater systems to manage runoff, reduce salt pollution, and create greener, more resilient cities.

Original study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178310

New research looks to make the next generation of “smart salt trucks”

The salt spread on roads during the winter is an environmental concern, particularly in this area that depends on groundwater sources. Municipalities have been adjusting how they use road salt for a number of years.

That pursuit extends to academia, as well. Researchers at the University of Guelph, for instance, are looking into making salt trucks smarter.

The university received $3 million in provincial funding for 11 research projects, part of a recent $92-million pledge from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to support postsecondary institutions.

In one of the 11 projects at U of G, Dr. Bahram Gharabaghi, a professor in the School of Engineering, is trying to build the next generation of “smart” salt trucks.

Gharabaghi currently works with an industry partner, Flodraulic Controls, based out of Georgetown, Ontario, which produces a salt-spreading system called Archimedes. His project aims to enhance Archimedes’ ability through machine learning and road surface monitoring.

“The goal is to create the next generation of smart salt trucks equipped with real-time local weather and road surface monitoring sensors and intelligent material spreader control systems that would allow for optimized salt application on the road network to achieve road safety while better-protecting salt vulnerable areas,” he said.

“This research will lead to the development of a real-time, GPS-enabled intelligent road salt application assistance tool. It will help create a critical tool for the next generation of smart salt trucks, resulting in higher road safety while better protecting the environment at a lower cost.”

Woolwich Township has joined counterparts across the country in taking steps to reduce the amount of salt applied to municipal roads.

“Our plow trucks predominantly use a mix of 50 per cent coarse sand and 50 per cent salt on our asphalt surface roads. For our roads with a gravel surface, we do not apply any salt and manage icy conditions by removing the ice with heavy equipment (road grader) or, if needed to improve traction in the absence of heavy equipment, the application of coarse sand only,” said Carter Maguire, the township’s manager of operations.

“Each of our plow/salter units is equipped with automated spreader controls, calibrated yearly to ensure proper material application per kilometre.”

Making that process still better is the goal of the U of G research, which provides members of Gharabaghi’s lab the ability to learn and train with extensive new technology.

“When we invest in research, we invest in our province’s future. Our $92-million investment supports over 200 research projects, driving Ontario’s economic growth and establishing our province as a leader across critical sectors,” said Dayna Smockum, director of communications at the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

“The University of Guelph’s Smart Salt Trucks project is a perfect example of made-in-Ontario innovation that improves the lives of residents. These important projects will ensure Ontario residents are safe on our roads and through advanced early detection and treatment of waterborne diseases impacting our communities.”

Atlas to build NA's first salt mine in decades - The Northern Miner

Image from Atlas Salt.

Atlas Salt (TSXV: SALT) says it plans to develop the Great Atlantic Salt (GAS) deposit in Newfoundland and Labrador into the continent’s first mine for the kitchen and winter road staple in nearly 30 years. 

The GAS project, which is set to initially produce up to 2.5 million tonnes of rock salt annually, is located near the Turf Point Port in western Newfoundland.

Atlas plans a state-of-the-art “salt factory” as the first new underground salt operation in North America, one that would contribute to a “significant” domestic production shortfall, the company said Tuesday. 

The St. John’s-based company intends to use computer firm Oracle’s Aconex cloud-based project and financial management software to save millions of dollars and cut several months off the project timeline set out in the project’s feasibility study issued last May. It will also use Oracle’s NetSuite enterprise resource planning system, Atlas mine project manager Andrew Smith said in Tuesday’s news release. 

“By providing a single source of truth for our data, including drawings, approvals, and documents, we can quickly incorporate feedback from in-field contractors into our project schedules, helping us stay agile and proactive in addressing any scheduling issues or risks,” Smith said. 

Shallow deposit

The GAS deposit was initially discovered through oil and gas exploration. It’s considered one of North America’s largest shallow salt deposits and is beside the Flat Bay gypsum deposit, whose mines produced 15 million tonnes from the 1950s until production ceased in 1990. 

GAS holds 383 million indicated tonnes grading 96% salt and 868 million inferred tonnes grading 95.2% salt, according to an NI-43-101 report. It shows mineral reserves in the probable category total 88.1 million tones at 96% salt.

Share in Atlas Salt were trading at 65¢ apiece in Toronto, valuing the company at $63 million. They’ve traded in a 52-week range of 55¢ to 97¢.

The Oracle software will be able to optimize operations to accelerate project timelines, address potential supply chain disruptions and help control costs, Atlas said. 

“We anticipate that the collaborative tools and methodologies provided by these solutions will result in significant time and cost savings that set us up to achieve our goal to deliver the GAS project as Canada’s next salt mine.” 

Montreal’s Snow Wars: When the City Fights Winter - The McGill Daily

Lisa Banti

Montreal winters are not for the faint-hearted. With an average of 210 cm of snow falling every year, this city doesn’t just experience winter — it goes to battle with it. Clearing snow from every street, sidewalk, and alley is an operation of epic proportions. And with nearly $200 million spent annually in construction and plowing costs to keep the city moving, it’s not just a massive financial burden; Montreal spends more than anywhere else in Canada by far, nearly double what Toronto spends.

For Montrealers, snow removal is part of the rhythm of winter life. It’s the steady hum of plows at 3:00 a.m., the towering piles of snow at street corners, and the icy sidewalks that still somehow evade city crews. But behind the scenes of this carefully choreographed chaos lies a city grappling with mounting costs, environmental fallout, and an unpredictable future shaped by climate change.

Every winter storm triggers a city-wide operation, mobilizing thousands of workers and an army of machinery. Over 10,000 kilometers of streets and sidewalks must be cleared. But this isn’t just about shovels and salt — it’s about logistics on a grand scale. Trucks cart snow to dumping sites where it’s piled into mountains taller than most buildings, and the effort requires constant coordination to avoid bottlenecks and delays.

What’s the cost of this snowy dance? It’s not just the hefty annual price tag. Road salt, a staple of snow and ice management, seeps into the soil and waterways, disrupting ecosystems and contaminating local vegetation. Then there’s the waste left behind — oil, metals, and plastic particles trapped in the snow that ends up dumped into the environment.

But the biggest threat to Montreal’s snow strategy isn’t the snow itself — it’s how the snow is changing. Climate change is rewriting the rules of winter. While total snowfall might decrease in the long run, the snow we do get is arriving in shorter, fiercer bursts. And it’s no longer just snow: freeze-thaw cycles are creating ice sheets that are tougher to clear and even harder to manage.

The city has started testing new ways to handle the pressure. Electric snow plows are rolling through neighborhoods as part of a pilot program to cut emissions. Scientists are experimenting with eco-friendly alternatives to salt. Advanced weather modeling systems are being used to predict storms more accurately, saving time and resources. These steps are promising, but they’re also just that — steps. The question remains: how effective are these methods compared to what is currently used? Can they scale up to meet the demands of Montreal’s massive snow removal operations or are they destined to remain small-scale solutions? How will they reshape the city’s ability to handle increasingly unpredictable winters?

For McGill students, this battle with snow is both a background story and a reality check. It’s about navigating campus during a storm, slipping on icy paths between classes, and realizing that the snow piles you climb over were part of a $200 million effort to make the city livable. But it’s also a chance to see how a city adapts to problems as big as the weather itself.

Maybe this is where the twist lies. Montreal’s snow removal isn’t just a story of trucks and salt. It’s about resilience, adaptation, and finding creative ways to handle challenges that cities everywhere will face as the climate continues to change. It’s a reminder that even something as mundane as clearing snow can reflect how a city fights to stay connected and move forward.

As winter rolls on, one thing is clear: Montreal isn’t backing down from its snowy foe. And in its determination, it’s carving out a blueprint for how cities can turn a battle with the elements into a story of innovation and survival.

Cheese: What it Means for Winter Roads in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – America’s Dairyland is displayed across license plates as cars drive over cheese brine treated roads, here’s why it’s sticking in some counties.

Wisconsin, known as the “Cheese Capitol of the World.”

Using a cheese byproduct to treat slick and slippery winter roads.

Green County has been using cheese brine to pre-wet roads before putting down salt treatments for over 20 years. It acts as a layer that grabs the salt that is thrown down and holds it in place. Research found that around 30% of salt scatters off the road. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Highway Commissioner says it also helps activate the salt quicker.

WisDOT gets the brine from local cheese factories, a trade secret for years. They say the brine is helping Green County be more eco-friendly when treating the roads as they use less salt during and after a storm. This is also cutting back on polluted runoff into fresh local waterways.

Green County is now the second least user of salt in the entire state of Wisconsin. Typically using 100,000 gallons of the cheese brine to treat the roads per year.

It wasn’t long until Polk County followed their lead. This northwest Wisconsin county adopted the salty, watery byproduct cheese brine in 2009.

Since cheese brine is a waste product anyways, counties can typically get it for free from local factories. This can save towns money on salt, while keeping the roads safe still.

Road conditions can even be improved with this mixture in extreme temperatures. Salt stops being effective when temperatures are colder than 15 degrees. The use of salt stops working all together when it’s 6 below zero.

Other alternatives to salt that Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, and parts of Canada use is a beet juice blend.

How heat storage technologies could keep Canada’s roads and bridges ice-free all winter long

For decades, Canadian cities and towns have combated ice and snow with salt and plows. This approach, however, comes at a steep cost. Traditional techniques damage roads, harm the environment and are not always effective at protecting road users from winter’s hazards. An innovative technology known as Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) could be an effective solution to Canada’s winter woes.

The technology behind BTES systems is elegantly simple.

Initially designed for building heating and cooling, a BTES system captures solar heat during the summer months and stores it underground. Then, when winter arrives, the stored heat is transferred through pipes beneath the road surface, warming the pavement and preventing ice formation — in essence, a solar powered underfloor heating system.

BTES systems can be applied to a diverse range of uses, from heating to strengthening foundations and even helping keep permafrost cool and stable in the Canadian north as the planet heats up.

This technology has already shown promising results in countries such as Sweden and Belgium, where it has been successfully applied to roads, bicycle paths and other infrastructure to enhance safety during winter. BTES techniques could help transform winter life in Canada and should be taken seriously.

Using the sun to warm Canada’s roads

Driving along a typical Canadian highway on a winter’s morning can be dangerous business. As drivers hustle and jostle for position unseen patches of black ice coat an incline, making it treacherous. A single slip could trigger a chain reaction of accidents, with cars skidding out of control, one after another.

Now imagine if that stretch of road were equipped with BTES systems. Hidden beneath the asphalt, a network of pipes would work to keep the pavement warm and dry, preventing ice from forming. The risk of accidents would drop dramatically, making those steep sections of road safer for everyone.

Bridges, which are especially vulnerable to freezing because they’re exposed to cold air on all sides, stand to benefit greatly from this technology. BTES systems connecting pipes beneath the bridge surface keep them ice-free and safe without salt. For cities, this is a win-win, improving safety and protecting bridges from salt and chemical damage.

BTES systems are not entirely passive; they require active input for efficient operation. Key components such as heat pumps, circulation pumps and control mechanisms need electrical energy to function. These systems facilitate the transfer of stored heat from the boreholes to the road surface.

Maintenance is also crucial, involving regular checks and servicing of the heat pumps and circulation systems, inspection of piping and insulation for leaks, and updates to control systems to ensure they efficiently manage heat distribution and maintain functionality over time.

A vehicle drives down a snow covered highway near Cremona, Alta. in October 2023. BTSE systems could help keep roads clear and safe in the winter months across Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A long-term solution

Each year, tons of salt are spread across Canada’s roads to melt ice. While mostly effective at minimizing hazards, these salts also cause long-lasting problems. Road salts can seep into groundwater, harming rivers and lakes. At the same time, these salts also corrode bridges, roads and even our cars, leading to costly repairs.

With BTES systems, municipalities could reduce or even eliminate the need for salt. This development would mean lower cleanup costs, less environmental damage, and longer-lasting roads and bridges.

While installing BTES systems has higher upfront costs, and can require more invasive construction work, experts believe that it can pay off over time by cutting back on maintenance and repair expenses. To get a comparison, for a BTES system capable of 50 to 60 tons, the upfront cost is approximately $1.8 million with a payback period of around 10.7 years, owing to significant reductions in maintenance and energy consumption.

In contrast, cities like Vancouver spend around $280,000 annually on road salt (a figure recorded in 1998), with Canada as a whole spending about $350 million annually. Additionally, the broader economic and environmental damages can escalate to approximately $4.8 billion per year, underscoring the financial and ecological impacts of road salt use.

Fewer repairs mean fewer costs down the line, making BTES systems a wise investment for cities looking for sustainable solutions. Plus, with the right support from government subsidies and tax breaks, more municipalities could be encouraged to adopt this technology where it is most needed.

A video overview of the BTSE system helping the Greater Binghamton Airport in New York keep its runway free of ice.

Beyond roads and bridges, BTES systems are also being adapted for various innovative uses. For example, in Sweden, BTES is employed under soccer fields to keep them warm and playable throughout winter while the Greater Binghamton Airport in New York uses a BTES-based system to keep runways free of ice without relying on harmful chemicals or constant plowing. This not only reduces delays but also enhances safety during winter operations.

Universities, too, are embracing geothermal energy: institutions like Ontario Tech University, the University of Calgary and Ball State University in the United States have implemented large-scale geothermal systems to cut emissions, reduce energy costs and promote sustainability.

This technology is mature and ready to be used.

A better option

Canada’s cold winters and heavy snowfall make it ideal for BTES systems. Cities like Montréal, Toronto and Calgary, where icy roads pose serious risks, could see safer commutes, fewer accidents and a more reliable way to navigate winter’s toughest challenges. Canada has the potential to lead the way by adopting BTES systems on its most treacherous roads, steep inclines and vulnerable bridges.

While bringing BTES systems to Canada comes with challenges — such as higher initial costs and a need for favourable ground conditions — these barriers can be managed with the right support. If properly implemented BTES systems could ensure safer roads year-round at a much lower environmental and financial cost.