Deicing Salt Supplies Running Short

This satellite image shows snow and ice across the Midwest Dec. 16.

Photo: NASA

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The series of snows and ice storms that hit the Midwest in December not only killed two dozen people and left hundreds of thousands without power, but they also stretched the nation's deicing salt supply thin, according to Newsday.

Suppliers are having trouble keeping up with demand, and the Northeast, which has itself been hit with a couple doses of significant snowfall in the last week or so, is coming up short.

It's a good time, then, to remember that salt is often overused, and that overuse can have a significant effect on the local environment.

Salt is effective only before snow and ice falls. By creating a salty layer of moisture that resists freezing, it prevents snow and ice from bonding with pavement, walkways or sidewalks. Use only as much as needed (much less than you think). Throwing salt down after snow and ice has fallen does little. The best remedy at that point comes in the form of a good shovel and/or some sand to aid traction.

Why is this important? Salt can kill nearby vegetation and contaminate streams and groundwater. Near highways, it's not uncommon for homes that rely on wells to have excessive amounts of salt in their drinking water. The chemistry of Northeastern streams has been altered, to the detriment of some native species, due to the excessive and repetitive use of ice. A 2005 study found a direct correlation between the highest levels of salt in streams and the amount of paved surfaces nearby that are salted during the winter.

This pollution is a classic example of "nonpoint source" pollution. The Clean Water Act has, over 35 years, been remarkably successful at cleaning up "point sources" of pollution – sewage and industrial pipes that discharged contaminants directly to streams. "Nonpoint source" pollution, on the other hand, originates from multiple sources spread over a large area (another example includes the use of pesticides and fertilizers on residential lawns). It has proved a difficult problem to solve, and many formerly pristine streams have become degraded in recent years because of an increase in nonpoint source pollution, particularly in rural areas where suburbs are spreading. It is often referred to as "people pollution" since it is the actions of individuals that will make the difference between keeping streams clean or not.

Learn how to avoid nonpoint source pollution in your home.

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