Chloride Problem

[BroadHopper]

http://hudsonvalleynewsnetwork.com/2017/04/10/north-americas-freshwater-lakes-getting-saltier/

Before Jodi Connor passed away, he mentioned this to be a problem, but towns do not want to hear it.

[Orion]

I'm always amazed that the environmentalists haven't risen up yet on this issue. How can anyone think that dumping millions of tons of road salt on our roads will not have a cumulative effect on lakes, wells and groundwater. It's insanity. Especially when we see them salting roads when it's above freezing. Not to mention the effect on cars and roadside vegetation.

BTW, I'm not really much of an environmentalist, but even I see this as a huge issue, especially if there is no end in sight to this practice.

[Descant]

The rate of salting is starting to be better controlled. Towns and state road crews, especially at the supervisor levels, are all participating in "Road Scholar" programs at UNH. Part of this is a certification on control of salt. This is a separate curriculum that commercial salters (large parking lot maintenance, especially) can also take which helps reduce salt use and their overhead.

We used to accept wearing boots all winter and having chains for the car. Now, people want black roads and street shoes. I will grant that chains were hard on tires and on the roads and AWD on many many vehicles has changed things too, perhaps letting people have a false sense of road safety.
Nonetheless, DES, DOT, and the Towns are well aware of the salt problems. Now, if we could just get people to complain about the salt instead of complaining about roads that aren't black...