The Downside of Snow

March 13, 2018

As I sit here suffering through yet another late-winter snowstorm, I pondered the impact of all this snow on our environment. Yes, snow is an essential part of the Northern climates. And living in Vermont, I understand all the economic benefits it brings to our state from tourist dollars. And yes, I do accept that there are folks that really like snow. But, I personally have had more than enough of it this winter.

We all know that the use of road salt has a negative impact on the environment. According to Smithsonian Magazine, it is estimated that more than 22 million tons of salt are spread on U.S. roads each year to rid us of snow and ice. That amounts to some 137 pounds of salt for every American.

When the salt and snow dissolve, it splits into sodium and chloride ions, and becomes surface runoff that is swept into area creeks, rivers, and lakes, as well as groundwater. As our country has become more urbanized, with ever more roads and cars, the impacts of road salt have mounted.

A study monitoring a southeastern New York State stream from 1986 to 2005 found significant annual increases in road salt contributed an estimated 91 percent of sodium chloride in the watershed. Increasing water salinity contributes to the degradation of natural ecosystem processes, and is harmful to freshwater animals.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the average chloride concentrations in many northern United States streams frequently exceed toxic levels because of the use of salt to remove ice and snow on pavement. Indeed, USGS studies found that the frequency of these occurrences has nearly doubled in the past two decades.

Highway departments may also add other substances to make the road salt stick better to roads. In Vermont, the State Highway Department—VTrans—uses a product called Ice B’ Gone that is essentially water, molasses and magnesium chloride. Ice B’ Gone, according to VTrans, has been found to be less corrosive than salt. Sand is another frequently used additive.

In the winter of 2010 – 2011, Burlington, Vermont registered 128 inches of snow; the VTrans salt-brine maintenance district for the area used almost 11,000 tons of salt and 7 cubic yards of sand to maintain state highways within their jurisdiction. And that’s just state-maintained roadways.

Fortunately, using substances such as Ice B’Gone does reduce the impact of salt on our waterways. And awareness of the issues around road salt use does seem to be growing. However, since folks need to get to work, road safety is always paramount. Since the use of road salt is not going to go away, best management practices would dictate that road crews ensure that the salt they use is being put to work as efficiently and effectively as possible.

One method recommended and practiced in some places is to spread salt before a storm. This practice helps prevent ice and snow from bonding to the road as it falls, thus reducing the overall need for salt or other deicing chemicals. Other solutions, including adding sugar beet juice to the salt, have reduced costs while being just as effective and more environmentally friendly.

But, what about snow removal and snow disposal? Of course, snow is not technically waste, despite my feelings about this month’s ongoing snow events. However, the large piles of snow that remain after the stuff is plowed from the roadways does have to be deposited somewhere. Plowing gathers up all kinds of oil and other nasty substances from the roads. Apparently towns and municipalities have designated snow dumps where the collected snow is left to sit and melt so that pollutants are filtered through the earth, or are treated before ending up in sewers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not directly regulate the dumping of snow; however, it does recommend against dumping it in water. Also, EPA suggests that state and local governments include snow disposal restrictions in storm water management plans.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Snow Disposal Guidance offers the following recommendations:

“Effective snow disposal sites” should be located “adjacent to or on pervious surfaces in upland areas or upland locations on impervious surfaces that have functioning and maintained storm water management systems away from water resources and drinking water wells.” In this way, snow melt water can filter into the soil, leaving behind sand and debris which can then be removed in the springtime.

The following areas should be avoided:

• Snow dumps should not be located outside public water supply zones or within 75 feet of a private well. Dumping snow into any water body, including rivers, the ocean, reservoirs, ponds, or wetlands should be avoided.
• Dumping snow on MassDEP-designated high and medium-yield aquifers where it may contaminate groundwater should also be avoided.
• Nor is it recommended to dump snow in sanitary landfills and gravel pits; it could contribute to more contaminated leachate in landfills, which poses a greater risk to groundwater. The Department advises against dumping in gravel pits where water filtration is limited, due to the close proximity of groundwater to the land surface.
• Disposing of snow on top of storm drain catch basins or in stormwater drainage swales or ditches should also be avoided; snow mixed with sand and debris may block a storm drainage system causing localized flooding. Also, significant volumes of sand, sediment, and litter can be released from melting snow and transported through the system into surface water.

So, assuming the snow will end at some point, we can all be hopeful that our communities are being more cautious with the use of salt on our roadways, and are following Massachusetts guidance for the disposal of collected snow from roadways.

I’ll be staying indoors and avoiding the roads. I think I’m feeling the need for a nice cup of hot chocolate!

By Athena Lee Bradley