Environmental Advocates Ask Residents to Go Easy on the Salt and De-icing Chemicals

(KNSI) — As snow and ice pile up on driveways and sidewalks, the public is urged to take it easy when laying down chemicals to melt it all.

Sue Nissen, a water steward with the group Stop Over Salting, says they understand the need to keep roads and sidewalks safe, but property owners can prevent ice buildup in other ways, such as shoveling early and often.

“Go out before people are walking over it and before it accumulates too much. Get your shovel out, get down to bare surfaces.”

If that’s impossible and de-icer is needed, Nissen says to take a careful approach because a little can go a long way. “If you have a spot where there’s ice, two to three inches between the granules is sufficient.”

Hardware stores sell hand spreaders to make it easier to space out the chemicals because one teaspoon of salt is enough to contaminate five gallons of water.

Nissen also cautions that chemicals don’t work below certain temperatures, and sand will allow for traction until the sun does its job.

Cities, including St. Cloud, are using noncorrosive and other lower impact solutions to melt snow and ice, including Beet Heet, which adds sugar to enhance the performance of traditional sodium chloride brine de-icers.

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