Road salt works by lowering the freezing point of water via a process called freezing point depression. But rock salt's low cost does not include the potential damage to property, infrastructure, or the environment. A 10% salt solution will lower water's freezing point from 32 F (0 C) to 20 F . Ingredients in ice melts can range from seriously toxic to non-toxic. He estimates the US now spends $2.3 billion each year to remove snow and ice from highways. Road salt is imperiling US waterways. States might have a solution. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today. Blue Moose, elk, and other mammals visit natural salt licks to fill up on sodium. Top 3 consuming states: NY (13%), OH (12%), IL (11%). Quantity taxes can be based on either overall product weight or the amount of THC sold. And for that, we can thank the 15 million tons of salt we dump on our roads and sidewalks each winter to melt away the snow and ice. more futuristic technologies, like "smart" snowplows that are thriftier with salt, or ice-free pavement. Facebook, Follow us on There are common tricks like pre-salting roads before storms hit, which prevents ice from sticking in the first place. At Vox, we believe that everyone deserves access to information that helps them understand and shape the world they live in. These salt additives lower the freezing point of water, slowing down the formation of ice; they also aid in traction, and make the solution stickier so less salt gets splashed off the roads and wasted. The American Geosciences Institute represents and serves the geoscience community by providing collaborative leadership and information to connect Earth, science, and people. Some cities have opted for proactive solutions preventing snow and ice from building up in the first place, rather than melting it with salt once its already a problem. Siy, who has partnered with IBM, Relyea, and local governments to address the problem, said the Lake George region has gone high-tech, implementing best practices that others can model. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. There are solutions, Nissen told Grist. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. New Hampshire. The 800-mile-long Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which starts at Prudhoe Bay on Alaskas North Slope, can carry 2 million barrels of oil per day south to the port of Valdez for export, equal to roughly 10% of the daily consumption in the United States in 20171. It bankrupt 1 1000000 tons in 1954, 10 1000000 in 1985, and now averages more than than 24 million tons a year. Which states don't use salt on roads? - Global FAQ Grist is the only award-winning newsroom focused on exploring equitable solutions to climate change. Every state allowing legal sales applies an excise tax to cannabis based on the product's quantity, its price, or both. ClearRoads data tracks merely state governments; salt used at private businesses and parking lots, on residential driveways and sidewalks, and by some cities isn't captured. What is MDSS? Kathy Hochul of New York announced appointments to the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force, established to review road-salt contamination.