A snowboarder heads down a side street in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood last week. City officials have avoided using salt to remove the snow, instead opting to make the roads "snow-packed." ((AP Photo/Elaine Thompson))
Seattle’s salt-free snow response raises hackles
By Eoin O'Carroll | 12.24.08
In an effort to preserve the health of marine life, officials in Seattle are opting not to use salt to help clear their roads after a series of major snowstorms.
Instead, the city is sprinkling sand on top of the snow to improve traction, and using an environmentally friendly, soy-based de-icer that is effective only at below-freezing temperatures. The Seattle Times quotes a city official, who explains that the Emerald Ivory City is seeking to make its roads snow-packed instead of snow-free.
“We’re trying to create a hard-packed surface,” said Alex Wiggins, chief of staff for the Seattle Department of Transportation. “It doesn’t look like anything you’d find in Chicago or New York.” …
“If we were using salt, you’d see patches of bare road because salt is very effective,” Wiggins said. “We decided not to utilize salt because it’s not a healthy addition to Puget Sound.”
Predictable outcome
The results of putting sand on top of icy snow are pretty much what you would expect. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer gives the details:
Sunday was full of car crashes, even after several pleas from State Patrol and local police to stay off the roads.
The State Patrol responded to 157 collisions Sunday in King County. Troopers also responded to another 312 disabled vehicles.
Between noon and midnight on Saturday, the State Patrol responded to 246 collisions and disabled vehicles in King County.
Also as expected, conservative bloggers have taken the opportunity to accuse Seattle officials for placing the safety of marine life before that of the city’s human residents. Commentator Michelle Malkin singled them out as the “Enviro-nitwits of the day“:
Seattle’s no-salt policy is endangering lives. It’s just the latest example of enviro-nitwit-ism from greenies in the Puget Sound, who would rather force commuters to risk accidents than “pollute” salty sea water with more salt.
Is salt really worse than sand?
The Post-Intelligencer (P-I) explains that the rationale for avoiding salt – a policy that dates to the mid-90s – has more to do with protecting the freshwater streams that feed into Puget Sound:
A 2005 study focusing on the Northeast, where massive amounts of road salt are applied annually, found that some streams were one-quarter as salty as sea water, and were killing animals and fish. A second study that year found that the use of rock salt to melt street ice had increased a hundredfold nationally since 1940.
The second study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a science journal, concluded:
“In summary, no one is suggesting that society should instantly ban rock salt use. Nonetheless … there are real, long-term consequences to its use, particularly for freshwater systems and soils. … A prudent step would be to adopt a ‘less is more’ policy, reducing the amounts of salt applied and considering alternatives where economically feasible.”
But the alternative also has major drawbacks. According to the P-I, city workers have dumped 8,500 tons of sand on city streets, more than has been used in the past three years combined.
All this sand adds up. Another article in the Seattle Times says that sand is actually more likely to harm aquatic life than salt. When the snow melts, the sand washes into waterways, clogging up drainage systems along the way, and making it hard for insects – a key part of the food chain – to cling to rocks.
Also, when sand dries, it contributes to airborne dust concentrations. The Washington Department of Transportation points out that some parts of the state, like Spokane, have had to limit their use of sand because of air-quality concerns.
A balanced response?
Seattle Times blogger Joni Balter says that she generally approves of the Seattle’s sodium-free diet, but she says that there must be exceptions:
This is the kind of overbearing government action that turns ordinary, green-friendly yet practical people against environmental ideas.
Current conditions are a once-in-a-decade event. So here we sit, sit being the operative word, trying to get around at the peak of the Christmas shopping season. Businesses that were already struggling are getting pounded by a lack of access. Mayors are remembered fondly - or otherwise - for the way in which they handle a crisis. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a crisis.
The Times also reports that state officials are brewing up a new mix made of recycled ingredients that perhaps everyone can be happy with. The mixture is 75 percent saltwater collected from a cheese factory, 5 percent calcium chloride, and 20 percent de-sugared molasses. The last ingredient helps the mixture stick to roadways.
One transportation official called the new de-icer a “silver bullet.” It’s currently made at only one site, but transportation officials are considering making it at five more locations so they can supply the stuff to the entire state.
The sooner, the better: weather reports say there is more snow on the way.
Update: On Dec. 31, the Seattle mayor’s office announced that it is amending it’s no-salt policy. Now salt will be used to clear roads when snowfall exceeds 4 inches or if ice is predicted.
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2. Sara | 12.24.08
I so can’t wait for this enviro-whacko movement to finally die. It’s a shame we’ll have to switch to mercury filled fluorescent lighting and start paying carbon taxes (ala cap and trade) before it does. Tons of evidence the earth is cooling, not warming, check out farmer’s almanac if record low temps and earliest season snowfalls ever recorded aren’t good enough.
3. D. Clark | 12.24.08
Of course, we haven’t used salt in years to melt snow pack - it’s too hard on the streets and would pose a significant runoff threat to our fresh water bodies and possibly violate the States NPDES (water quality) Discharge Permit.
4. sirj | 12.24.08
I walk to work, and this anti-salt thing is really hurting my commute and those others that have to walk on padded,slippery, slopes along the interior streets. Salt would be nice as this is an extreme case.
5. Gregory | 12.24.08
Don’t the sand trucks use diesel (an air polluntant)? Isn’t the sand a particulate contaminant? Highway and roadway snow removal are clearly environmental hazards regardless of the media used. Why not just garage everything and let nature take its course? The government merely should compel a strict 24-hour curfew until everything has melted. This should include emergency activities (police, fire, and EMS) as well. Let’s get back to nature here in Washington. After all, people are the enemy of the environment, and we people are the ones who have elected leaders who represent the environment in lieu of the citizens living in it.
6. Curly | 12.24.08
Being green is great. There are circumstances where exceptions will occur. Continuing experiments must be made until all sides can be satisfied.
7. Christopher Jensen | 12.24.08
Good for Seattle!! Up here in Anchorage Alaska, we do not use salt. It is a messy way to clear the roads and it ruins your car body. Better to plow as best you can and use studs and chains. Take the advice from Alaskans and stay away from salt.
8. corey lawson | 12.24.08
Another effect is that salt is brutal on bridges, and Seattle metro area has a LOT of bridges. Road maintenance is expensive enough. Should Seattle hasten the decline of the Ship Canal and Aurora bridges by salting the highways? What would happen to Seattle traffic flows if both bridges (and all the other street bridges across the Ship Canal) had to be shut down for a year or two (closing one lane each direction on either is effectively closing the bridges) due to extensive and accelerated corrosion brought on by using salt in the winter?
While driving on ice-free roads in the midwest (I used to live in Chicagoland…) is nice, it’s paid for the rest of the time with increased car cancer and, well, the highway surfaces in Chicagoland suck the rest of the year, brought on partly by the salt water that gets into the cracks and expansion joints and rusts out the rebar, which when it gets to the rebar in the concrete, causes those to expand as they rust, which… (yes, I know all about the freeze-thaw cycles, too).
9. Steve | 12.24.08
Sara: Why would you use compact fluorescents? LEDs are much better and have a longer lifespan (albeit more expensive to purchase).
10. Alan | 12.24.08
In China, they have the army clean the roads…no snow plows, just brooms and shovels. It takes many days to finish. I guess this would be a good jobs program, hmmm.
11. Sam | 12.24.08
In response to Sara: Are you serious? There is evidence that some parts of the earth are experiencing cooling w/ early season snowfalls, yes. But you can’t look at isolated areas at time frames. You must examine the earth as whole, and sea ice is the best way to do that. The fact is CO2 is a greenhouse gas, which means that the increased amount of it in the air means the overall heating of the earth can not be denied. I don’t understand why this is the one area of science where people must resist the overwhelming amount of evidence presented from around the globe. This isn’t an American conspiracy, this is a globally established trend! You do bring up a good point though - the environmental events should be referred to as climate change, not global warming, because of the way they effect different regions in a different manner.
12. Nancy | 12.24.08
Here in Arizona they would spray DDT to fix a problem if they could, be proud you are more progressive than the rest of the U.S.
13. George Hanshaw | 12.24.08
Seattle has a 12 inch layer of snow that is equivalent to about 1.2 inches of water, and they would use no more than 200# per mile of two lane road. For the entire metropolitan area, that works out to about 600 miles squared-inches of water and for 2412 lane miles figure about 250,000 pounds (roughly 125 tons) of salt.
So, when all the melting takes place, you get 600×5280x5280×0.1 cubic feet of water with 250,000 pounds of salt in it. That’s 1674376704000 cubic feet of water at 64# per cubic foot or 107160109056000 pounds of water with 250,000 pounds of salt dissolved in it.. That’s an ultimate concentration of 2.3329576854886772242144142970589e-9. Remember that Seattle is a waterfront town. Most of that will run directly in to Elliot Bay. What’s the concentration of salt in Elliot Bay? About 3.5% or roughly 15 MILLION times as salty as the final result would be if Seattle salted their roads.
It’s no wonder Seattle Schools have such a high dropout rate. You’ve got idiots teaching idiots.
Nobody in the town can do simple math.
14. Steve Paulson, Chicago, Illinois | 12.24.08
Regarding post #8 from Corey Lawson: Corey, there is a HUGE difference between Chicago and Seattle weather: we deal with snow, ice and extreme temperatures for 6 months out of the year. While I agree that over-salting roads is destructive and environmentally unsound, here in the midwest it is a necessity. Your current snowfall situation is a rare occurrence that should by all reason dictate a logical response to use salt. The argument that marine life is permanently damaged by road salt is a false one: Lake Michigan is a closed water body which somehow manages to survive being infused with road salt, year after year, decade after decade. Despite what you may hear regarding the Great Lakes, they are cleaner now than ever.
15. John | 12.24.08
Yes, Enviro-wackjobs like the Seattle Town council and all idiots like them are going to turn common sense people against good green policies because they institute every wacked out policy they can get their stupid little minds around and human safety and lives be damned. Seattle is a city of many steep hills and not salting them is moronic.
This type of weather only happens once every ten years or so… and there is no way that using salt in this type of situation would endanger the streams. So all you who are claiming that are just idiots. If it was every year for weeks or months on end, then I might agree, but the decision by the Seattle nutjobs was just plain stupid.
16. Jean SmilingCoyote | 12.24.08
I’m in Chicago, and we’re having a time of the precip so far. I know what salt does to soil, and wish people had never hit on the idea of putting salt on roads. I’ve seen sand used in Edmonton, Alberta - and it blowing around. I remember when studded tires were outlawed in Illinois. They care so much about the pavement damage, but what’s the cost comparison to salt damage to both pavement (more freeze-thaw cycles) and soil? Tire chains are still legal in Illinois, but neither media nor IDOT mentions this. Media also won’t talk up the various studs, crampons, gritted soles, and steel spirals on rubber bands (I’ll catch it for saying the brand name!) which pedestrians can use for plenty of traction on ice. Unless you want to turn Sno-Cats into fire trucks & ambulances, we need to plow the snow, but our society should switch to salt-free roads.
17. Tim | 12.24.08
I grew up in Seattle, but have lived elsewhere for most of my adult life. Salt was used prolifically in up-state New York, Chicago, and Iowa - where I spent ten years. (I now live in central Texas where we had two inches of snow this year – the largest accumulation in twenty years.) In New York, Chicago, and Iowa, the cars rust out at a much higher rate than I ever saw in Seattle or see in my current warm climate. Salt is unnecessary in Seattle - it just doesn’t stay all that cold for all that long anyway.
18. Enviro-wacko | 12.24.08
Sara — I hope you were kidding about the Farmer’s Almanac. If not, you should probably read up on how global warming can cause some places to be colder and others to be warmer. Besides, can the Farmer’s Almanac can be trusted any more than the ground hog for predicting the weather? And if people who had the option to stay home listened to the authorities there would have been many fewer accidents; no amount of salt would have fixed Seattle’s travel problems with that much snow. You can’t have it both ways: local government can’t take responsibility for perfect road conditions all the time AND keep costs down. When there is an occasional weather calamity, turn on your radio and listen to the public safety announcements — they are “worth their salt”.
19. Thomas | 12.24.08
They sell these things that are round, black and made of rubber. I think they are called snow tires.
20. MarvinClayton | 12.24.08
We’ve been using sand for decades here in Montana where snowy, icy roads are common much of the year. A few years ago, we also began using a similar organic liquid de-icer. Its been just fine for us here in Big Sky Country. And since probably 1/3 of Western Washington’s population are the result of Montana transplants, I would think this situation should be fine once everyone adjusts. This is one “greenie” courses of action that truly makes sense. Merry Christmas Governor ;-)
21. Color Coded Phools | 12.24.08
I would hate to have to drive a motorcycle in Washington in the spring!
Sand kills and causes more accidents on motorcyclist then speed does!
The steet sweepers are slow loud carbon chugging evil machines that spread plumes of viruses and other disease into the air!
22. James | 12.24.08
You people are out of control. I’m really not sure why you dont move out of the United States, because it’s clear you hate this country and will do whatever it takes to bring it too its knees. You drive your little clown car, which in fact causes mass problems for the environment, cry about plastic bags, and make bogus claims about global warming all in the name of “The Children”. The real bottom line is that communism abound in the form of the environmental movement, and most of you clowns that raise an American Flag on the fourth of July dont have a clue as to how you are killing this country. It will be too late when Liberty is nothing but a word in a dusty book, and you can look in a mirror thanking yourself because you stood up for not placing the safety and wellfare of the general public first during a snow event ahead of poor science about waterways. Its the bite by bite trampling of liberty in this country by clowns like you who dont have a clue about what this country is about, and what it takes to protect the principles of which this country is based. So, go ahead raise your glass knowing that you are playing a part in the distruction of a once great country with your constant stance against commerce and humanity. Fish dont have rights, trees dont have rights, and you should not have the right to claim standing in a court of law with regard to your social engineering programs. Socialism doesnt work, and you cant control the weather. But there again you dont believe in God, therefore the weather becomes your God in a pagan society to which you believe and proclaim a utopian society which is nothing but a dream.
23. Incredulous | 12.25.08
Is this a political situation? Or is it just that Americans can’t solve the simplest problems of daily living any more? Geez. Turn off the tube and go out and shovel some snow!
24. Diana | 12.25.08
Basically, the last 10 days have brought this town to a halt and created many unnecessary situations that would have been avoided by putting a one-time application of salt at the beginning of the storm last week.
The State of Washington uses salt on the freeways so basically, you could drive through Seattle but 30 feed down an offramp your car was paralyzed by large, lumpy moguls of snow and ice through the MIDDLE of downtown. Not to mention the 6% hill grades covered in pure ice that the majority of this city is. It’s a bowl shape.
25. SeattleNeedsChange | 12.25.08
I am from Seattle and there are two folks who were asleep at the wheel:
Mayor Greg Nickels( He had never held a real job outside of politics since he was 19 years old and he is running for a third-term as mayor) and
Jan Drago(Seattle Councilmember, overseeing the Seattle DOT and seeking
a fifth, 4-year term). Jan Drago has been quoted that she even know that Seattle did not use salt. Huh?
Here is the real kicker: The 21 snow plows on the streets of Seattle were equipped with RUBBER tips on the snow blades, so not to damage the roads. Ever try to scrap ice and snow with a rubber spatula?
I really want to know the economic damage and people damage caused by this
idiotic policy and lack of leadership and adaptability.
If any Obama folks are reading this, please do not hire any of these idiots
from Seattle or King county. Albeit, I would love to see these jokers
gone from my beloved city. However, they would do much more harm to the United States. It is better to localized the damage. No worries, we are going to vote these idiots out of office next November.
26. Jia | 12.25.08
to appease enviro-nitwits the city pushed for other means that seemed more harmeful to the environment and to humans. in order to protect the wildlife, the human part was inexplicably forgotten. there is too much left leaning on this country. being green is good. if you are an environmentalist, before you make necessary change make sure that the change you want does not cause more harm to humans because you want to protect the environment and wildlife. there will be a time that the rights of animals here in america will be better than the rights of humans.
27. What? | 12.25.08
Not everyone has the option of “listening to the authorities” and staying home - it means risking their job.
Also, not everyone has enough extra money to have those big, black round things on hand when there’s a chance they’ll never have to be used… I’m sorry, did you call those snow tires? There are plenty of people in Seattle who live paycheck to paycheck… the same ones who can’t stay home and risk unemployment, or stand around waiting for a metro bus that never comes because they can’t get there on the unsalted streets.
Salting a grand total of four days a decade will not cause Seattle to self destruct and could potentially save a lot of human lives. But oh nooo, the salmon!
28. VOLKMAR | 12.25.08
The way I see it there is an winter weather emergency in the Seattle area and everyone needs to be patient till your snow melts. I’m from Seguin, Texas were we just have hurricane emergencies once or twice a year. Hurricane IKE came within 130 miles. No snow events yet this year in Texas so we pray you all stay safe up there in the great northwest. So be nice to one another and plan ahead in the future. You should move south at this time of the year like we would move north at the start of any of our evacuations. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. VW
29. Stay at home… gladly | 12.25.08
The City’s policy about plowing and salting the roads, or not, made it easy to stay at home the week before Christmas.
Or not. I found it easy to get to Bellevue where they actually plow the roads.
I can’t image the City’s transportation plan is highly regard by the downtown Seattle retailers.
30. J. R. Krell | 12.25.08
I can not believe that you do not use salt. I guess the people who make the decisons in Seattle are more concerned about their marine life then human life. I live in the East and we use salt which is what you need do. Unfortunately the people of Seattle need to go to work and by not using salt you have made driving impossible.
I really can not believe what I have read about not using salt. For as few times as salt would be necessary ( like now) it would have no affect on your marine life.
If people have accidents because of the way the streets are taken care of the city of Seattle should be hit with a class action law suit.
Please take care of you citizens and put them first. Who ever is running your city government is STUPID and should be fired.
31. Ric Werme | 12.25.08
18. Enviro-wacko | 12.24.08
“Sara — I hope you were kidding about the Farmer’s Almanac. If not, you should probably read up on how global warming can cause some places to be colder and others to be warmer. Besides, can the Farmer’s Almanac can be trusted any more than the ground hog for predicting the weather?”
This year the Old Farmers Almanac is better than usual, they published an article by Joe D’Aleo to help back up their expectation of a protracted cooling. See http://www.almanac.com/timeline/
“You can’t have it both ways: …”
Isn’t that what you’re asking for when you write “global warming can cause some places to be colder and others to be warmer?” I can see why you’re reluctant to use your real name.
32. Erica | 12.25.08
In Defense of Seattle
I’m not saying Seattle got this one right. They didn’t. They should’ve used salt in this situation. But Seattle should be praised for at least trying to find more environmentally friendly solutions to clearing the roads after a snow storm because, wake up conservies, human health and economic health depend on environmental health. These three things are not inseparable. So while I would love to talk to those in Seattle who made the decision not to use salt in this storm (desperate times do call for desperate measures), I also praise them for continually trying to find better, more environmental friendly solutions because local economies depends on good environmental health. (To whoever said “But oh nooo, the salmon!” tell that to the local fish industry which depends on salmon.)
Innovation and finding better ways is what made this country great. And we’ve been slacking off on both these past couple of decades. So good for you, Seattle, for trying to find better ways to do things. But until you do, use salt when a snow storm hits.
33. Ariel Risings | 12.26.08
I have to agree with What? regarding cost of snow tires. Our family needs new regular tires for our car and we can barely afford those. Have any of you actually tried to find snow tires and chains in Seattle when it snows? Good Luck! as they are sold out in about a minute with no more coming in because suppliers can’t get their trucks through the icy streets to make more deliveries.
Also, I am in that poor unfortuante group of people who did not have extra vacation time this year. This time of year of all times, when one needs extra money for Christmas. I had to go to work. The transportation department and sheriffs department advice is great if you are independently wealthy and don’t have a home and a family to support. It must be nice to have the option to just sit at home and watch the snowfall while drinking tea and warming your toes by the fire.
Finally, thanks to the no salt policy, delivery trucks and mail trucks were not able to make deliveries to our neighborhood and we missed out on mail and Christmas present deliveries (including “santa” gifts) for over five days. As of today, Christams day, over half of our gifts that were ordered by December 11th have not arrived. Have I gotten to the garbage problem and lack of garbage pick up. I guess it must be environmentally friendly to have piles of garabage around your neighborhood and a subsequent rodent invasion because of all of the excess trash. Our neighborhood is beginning to resemble a landfill.
I consider myself to be an environmentally friendly person and I agree that salt is not the best option for our roadways. However, we live in an extremely hilly place with snow that usually turns to ice by nighfall. Until a better solution is developed, I think that salt for these once in a decade weather nighmares is one of our only options.
34. mikeb | 12.26.08
I had no problems getting around - I used common sense (avoid roads on hills with packed ice and boneheaded drivers), and put a good set of chains on my tires. The only problems I ran into was having to avoid people spinning their tires on a patch of ice (get snow tires, studs, or chains, people) or trying to park where the snow was a bit too deep. A shovel from the trunk fixed that problem pretty quickly.
35. dr bob | 12.26.08
with lots of snow, it is best to play in it! that aside, the best way to get it out of the way is to shovel the snow. do not use salt. good for you seattle.
36. Patty | 12.26.08
Thankfully, the “big thaw” that Mayor Nagin -I mean Nickels- has been on his knees praying for while he’s been snuggled deep inside his Seattle City Hall Bunker for the past 2 weeks has arrived. Nickels poked his head out of the bunker to LIE blatantly at a press conference on Wednesday. Then he went back into hiding so no one could ask him the tough questions.
Please don’t let nature’s “relief” from this natural disaster let Mayor Nagin -I mean Nickels- dodge this bullet. THE MEDIA IS GIVING HIM A PASS!!! KING5 TV had a poll up to rate the Mayor (who gave himself a “B” grade) and never reported on the 80% unfavorable rating (ratings of “D” & “F”). 80% unfavorable (from a sampling of over 1800 people)! The snow will be gone by Monday, and Nickels will be patting himself and the City on the back, saying, “Heck of a job, Brownie!” CALL THE MAYOR. Tell him to get out there and actually LOOK at his city! Call the Mayor’s office (206) 684-4000. It’s a public number and the staff is very nice no matter how angry you are at them.
37. JK | 12.27.08
Bascially you have a population that on the one hand prides itself their “environmental sensitivity” running smack into the very zero tolerance they’ve created. No salt for you!
38. rel2 | 12.27.08
Our experience with this very unusual snow event here in King County Washington (known as ‘the Eastside’) was dramatic. Like a majority of county residents we live on a steep hill. It was impossible to leave our neighborhood for several days. We do have chains and an AWD vehicle but the combination of compacted snow, ice and steep grades made it hazardous to drive.
We were fortunate to be able to work from home (thankfully the power stayed on in our neighborhood) and our children and family understood about not being able to get to stores for gifts. However there were so many people who depended on getting out to earn wages and stores that were depending on making those sales and these people really suffered.
It is shortsighted of King county to refuse to even consider using salt in extreme situations as this clearly was. Yes, we can deal with our occasional day of snow with the few rubber plows and deicer. But this was truly extreme and endangered people’s lives. Pithy remarks about ‘those round rubber things’ and ‘careful driving’ are silly when neighbors cannot get out for fuel for generators or for food. And this snow has (27 inches in our driveway) lasted for days.
Caring for our environment is important to us and we are happy to live in a beautiful part of the world but people should always come first. Our county repeatedly explained how the salmon would be affected by salt. This rung hallow as we watched cars piling up on the sides of the roads and people suffered. King county does not get passing grades on how this was handled.
39. cindy | 12.27.08
STOP LEGISLATING LIFE….USE what works to save lives…beginning with employers being willing to realize that sometimes people CAN’T make it in because of the weather…
Salt, sand, whatever…If everyone, and every business shoveled out front of their own place, and their side of the road…half the job would be done already!
People are LAZY and expect someone else to clear the way for them…
If the pioneers could see us now they would cringe at what a waste their efforts were…getting all the way to the west coast…and then to have US live in it and just gripe and gripe…
Stay home in a storm…shovel your own path…and shut up!
40. Will | 12.29.08
This is mother nature thing NOT government thing. People here talk **** about goverment blah blah etc….If you can’t drive on snow SIMPLY stay home and enjoy some movies and hot cocos. Two defferent folks here!? One is the young ones that enjoy snow, Second old folks that don’t know how/or scared to drive on snow….Winter is winter, summmer is summer. Enough w/ all this nonsense hate!
41. Alan | 12.29.08
Reducing the salt used is admirable. But when you have long term issues, snow that hangs around for more than a day or two, something needs to be done to get the city back to work.
And why doesn’t anyone really want to deal with the real problem? Storm drains should not drain directly into any natural body of water. At best the water is quite polluted. Storm runoff needs to be handled in a way similar to sanitary sewer. We may not be able to design a storm runoff system that can deal with the 20 or 100 year storm, but we can have one that keeps pollutants out of the natural water bodies most of the time.
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1. Ellen | 12.24.08
The problem is not putting salt into already salty waters. The problem is that many of our storm drains empty into freshwater streams used by spawning salmon and other fish that need fresh water. I live here and if I have no problem with the salt free roads who is Michelle Malkin to complain? Snow like this is a rare event here and most residents here are just enjoying the novelty of snow and taking some time off from work. Enviro-nitwits?