ST PAUL, Minn. — Too much salt is never good, whether it's going in your food... or on the driveway.
With winter weather finally arriving this week, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is reminding residents to take it easy when applying salt to de-ice driveways and sidewalk salts. When snow melts or it rains, that salt makes its way into storm drains and into lakes, rivers and watersheds.
MPCA says chloride - an ingredient in de-icing salt - is toxic to fish and aquatic life, and once in the water it's there for good. It's one of two pollutants that don't break down but continue to accumulate over time with no practical way to remove it.
It's estimated that 365,000 tons of road salt are used on roads in the Twin Cities area each year, and a recent study by the University of Minnesota says about 78% of salt across the metro on roads, driveways and sidewalks is either transported to groundwater or remains in the local lakes and wetlands.
While no environmentally safe alternatives are on the market right now, MPCA says there are things you can do to minimize the impacts of salt/chloride on the environment.
- Shovel and scrape thoroughly: The more snow and ice you remove, the less salt you need to lay down.
- Use the right amount: MPCA says around 12 ounces - roughly a coffee mug's worth - is enough to treat a 20-foot driveway or 10 average-sized sidewalk squares.
- Sweep up leftover salt that isn't working and dispose of it properly.
- Don't use when temps are below 15 degrees: Plow drivers will tell you that salt is ineffective when things get seriously cold.
For more on smart salting and minimizing impacts on the environment, check out the MPCA website.
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