Salt on roads harms waterways
With wintry weather predicted for
Wednesday, it’s a good time to think about the ecological damage caused by
using salt on icy roads and driveways.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will introduce a new a Salt Management Strategy Toolkit at
a public meeting next month with resources and recommendations for best
practices to reduce the amount of salt that gets into waterways.
Too much salt in streams can
kill wildlife, and too much salt in drinking water is harmful to people with
certain health conditions.
The SaMS Toolkit will be shared with
the public at a virtual meeting Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Register for the meeting
here. Following the meeting, there will
be a 30-day public comment period, Jan. 22-Feb. 22.
The salt management strategy was developed in response to a 2018 pollution study of Accotink
Creek that found impaired water quality due to salt. Similar problems were subsequently
documented in waterways throughout Northern Virginia.
The toolkit was produced for the DEQ by the Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin with input from over 40 organizations, including local governments, citizens associations, universities, environmental groups, and others.
At a community “listening session” on salt last year, Will Isenberg,
of the DEQ’s Office of Watershed Programs, said homeowners can
use birdseed, sand, or woodstove ash to improve traction on their driveways
instead of salt. If people do use salt, they only need a small amount and can
sweep it up after the snow melts.
11 responses to “Salt on roads harms waterways”
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People living in houses also harms nature and waterways.
White guilt never gets tired, does it?
Graspingatstraws.gif
Straws pollute the oceans dummy.
How does taking care of the environment we live in by finding practical ways to limit salt use translate to "white guilt"?
Totally agree with previous commenter. When are more people going to start caring about the planet we live on? There's a lot more life than just humans, but most humans apparently couldn't care less.
Wow
You two are so woke,
Driving in your new SUV's, polluting with your Tesla's batteries but lecture others about salt on the road.
Hey 12:20, I'm sure you hear this all the time, but what is your problem? I don't consider myself particularly "woke", but I could be worse things. No lectures. Just asking for you (or whoever wrote the "white guilt" comment) to explain. It's just lazy thinking on your part to dismiss concerns about the environment (or any other relevant issues, there are plenty) as white guilt, or being woke, or whatever silly shorthand you want to give it.
So much over some troll crap-posting. Be like Elsa and let it go!
Is it kind of late to be holding a meeting on salt when we’re already salting?
Why not use pepper?
Why not Salt N Peppa?
PUSH IT REAL GOOD!!!