Salting Arizona Roads
Over the last several years, since 1998 ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) has de-iced our roads and highways with salt (halite, calcium, and magnesium chloride)euphemistically called "de-icing compounds." These salts will result in major damage to our highway infrastructure, vehicles, storm drains, pipes, and more importantly our water supply,
The "High Country" of Arizona represents our watershed. Thousands of tons of salt, brought in from the Midwest, will do our water supply no good. Eventually these salts will leach into our high country lakes. And these serve as our primary water source, along with ground waters that will also be contaminated, not just with salt, but other metals that such salts leach out of the ground and from man made objects that salts destroy. And now the City of Flagstaff is on the road salt bandwagon, intending to salt our side streets despite what ADOT has done with damaging road salts on Rt-66 right in front of City Hall! (see the Photos of the Rio de Flag bridge)
Follow these links to resources on road salts. (Please use "BACK BUTTON" to return to this web page) Photos, Links and
Articles: A must see photo document of salt damage done to the Rio de Flag bridge south of the Flagstaff City Hall.-- => Photos: Rio de Flag bridge salt damage The Journal of Water Quality Professionals STORMWATER-- "Deicing Salt-- Still on the Table" An article that presents the costs both economic and environmental. Northern Arizona is the watershed for the entire state, and we must consider that in the areas where this article pertains gets more rainfall than Arizona. Where do thousands of tons salt per year of go?-- Articles regarding salting of Flagstaff and Northern Arizona Roads-- Road Salt: Is it worth it? Groundwater Pollution-- New York Water Analysis-- Canadian analysis of salting roads-- Effects on household pets-- Road salting makes streams more like seawater-- BLOGS: Effects on bicycles. (watch those spokes!)-- Maine enviros to the world: Stop Salting the World.-- Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring-- Mad Scientist Org; Alternatives to salting roads-- Scienceblog.com: CMA-- MY BLOG: Road salting in Arizona After reading what was posted here, feel free to visit the Salting Arizona Roads Blog to post your comments. You must join to post, or you can send your comments to me for moderation and possible posting.
WE MUST stand firm and put an end to de-icing chemicals (salts) on our roads. We live in a parched land where water is precious and certainly not abundant such as rain is back east or in the Midwest. Northern Arizona is the watershed for the entire state and our waters must be protected before they become contaminated with salt, chemicals as well as metals leached out of the soil and our roads. And we must protect our environment. The solution is simple as the articles presented here state. Use sand and regular snow plowing. Keep driving speeds down, and keep warnings up. Beyond the stated speed for winter weather, then law enforcement needs to kick in. If it says on winter highway signs 35 mph and chains on an otherwise 75 mph highway then that is what it is.
Salt is not the solution, for its use will certainly become known in the years ahead after the environmental impacts in our State become evident. There are other more expensive yet environmentally friendly de-icing compounds that can be used. And the use of such should be weighed against the damage to our infrastructure and environment caused by the use of chlorides (salts) for de-icing our roads.
Steven R. Schoner. Email salting_arizona_roads@yahoo.com Pressing on to eliminate salting our roads And... with the hope that salting our highlands will end. International
Meteorite Collector's Association Come back soon.... 
