CHILTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – It’s no secret that rock salt helps keep our roads safe during Wisconsin winters, but it can also have serious consequences for the environment.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, road salt can contaminate drinking water, kill or endanger wildlife, increase soil erosion and damage private and public property.
That’s why the Calumet County Highway Department and Wisconsin Salt Wise are teaming up to encourage Northeast Wisconsin communities to adopt better — and healthier — practices in snow and ice control.
“When we think about salt pollution in our water, road salt is the number one source. Water softeners are our second. We have some control over reducing both of those. But obviously, we still want to be keeping people safe on roads,” said Allison Madison, program manager at Wisconsin Salt Wise.
It’s a coalition of organizations around the state working to reduce salt pollution into lakes, streams and drinking water.
Madison explained how mechanical removal and the use of brine are game changers in snow and ice control.
On the road side, we see a lot of efficiencies to be had by doing a better job of mechanical removal — scraping that snow off the road — as well as looking at the use of brine. So taking that rock salt, diluting it down with water and utilizing it either before the storm — anti-icing, that works to prevent the bond between the snow and the pavement — as well as pre-wetting the rock salt so that when it goes down, it sticks in place, it starts melting faster and you use less total salt.
Madison said in addition to implementing brine and mechanical removal into their snow and ice practices, Calumet County also has some rubberized blades on their equipment that create asqueegee-like effect down the roads.
“They really have worked to master both the science and the art of snow removal,” Madison said.
On Thursday, the Calumet County Highway Department and Wisconsin Salt Wise held an open house that served as a show-and-tell of winter maintenance equipment. Local municipalities, counties and others involved in the industry were invited to attend.
Chad Scheinoha, highway superintendent for Calumet County Highway Department, said the goal of the open house was to encourage the adoption of best snow and ice control practices.
“That’s what we’re hoping to spark with all the townships, villages, cities, is that partnership where we’ve got a high-capacity brine machine, we’ve got some very basic equipment, we’ve got some very advanced equipment. So they’ve got a chance to look at some of that equipment and hopefully get some ideas how they can realistically and financially be able to use some of that brine, and ultimately applying less rock salt to the roadway and making our roads safer and helping the environment at the same time.”
To learn more about Wisconsin Salt Wise’s mission and how you can make a difference in your everyday life, click here.
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