As winter and freezing weather are ahead, there are a lot of preparations to be made. We homeowners may give a glance at the snow shovel when we start tidying up the yard and garage. Facilities like shopping centers, offices, apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, and almost any complex with extensive sidewalks, driveways and parking lots will get ready on an industrial scale. Either they have contractors who are ready to plow and salt or they have a road salt supply ready for their maintenance staff to utilize. There’s something almost reassuring about seeing the salt being spread when the weather report talks of freezing rain and/or snow.
I took a lot of this for granted until one day at the end of February 2024. There was no snow or cold predicted in the weather forecast for the Philadelphia area. Rather, there was an alarming warning of extreme rain and flooding. By chance, I was driving past a facility that I was familiar with, since I had worked there years earlier, and I saw a large white mound of road salt sitting uncovered, with the predicted rain on the way. Another partial truckload of road salt was uncovered nearby.
This parking lot was close to a stream. Over the years, the stream had flooded many times, often inflicting damage on the building. Even if this upcoming weather event wasn’t extreme, I could imagine the impact of these large storage piles being inundated by rain and washing into the nearby watershed and creek. I contacted Wissahickon Trails, a nonprofit that protects waterways upstream of Philadelphia, and had a good discussion. I then called the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) to report the situation. A few days later, I noticed that the piles were mostly covered with blue tarps. How much salt washed out from underneath the tarps? I don’t know, but a white trail of salt deposits suggested that the answer was “more than none.”
As I researched the effects of road salt, I saw that there are many negative impacts on the environment - water quality, soil, and animal and plant life. Water quality affects public health because of saline levels. The corrosive effects of road salt are well known, not only on cars and trucks, but on roads, bridges and infrastructure as it interacts with metals and concrete. Some efforts are being made to reduce the quantity of salt, by using a brine solution or other de-icing chemicals. Some environmental advocacy groups have addressed the effects of salt on water quality, but the responsible storage of salt piles was rarely a focus.
Once I saw that first pile of road salt, I started noticing this problem again and again. On my drives to visit friends or run errands I began to notice more mounds of salt. I was intrigued by the various states of storage. Some piles were covered in tarps or had tarps that were mostly blown off. For others, streaks of salt brine had washed from the piles across parking lots and headed towards the woods or storm drain.
Before long I had spotted a total of five sites. I again reported each one to PA DEP. I was pleased to see that one facility built a roof over their storage area. This was what some storage guidelines suggested for proper management and storage of road salt materials. This protects not only the environment but also the materials from loss and degradation. Even the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recommends cleaning up stockpile facilities after storms to prevent chloride contamination of soils and waterways.
Now, as we get ready for winter again and I have done some more research and consulted with environmental advocates, I understand that these salt storage piles may remain in a grey area. Depending on the state and municipal regulations, there may be no enforcement unless officials determine that the salt piles are actually contaminating waterways.
Who will offer information and guidelines to contractors who work with the salt or property managers who store the salt? Who will be on the lookout for these salt storage piles and have concern for their effect on the watershed and environment? I will try to reach various levels of governmental contacts and advocacy groups that work with water quality and the environment. You should too.
Salt Watch Note
If you see an uncovered salt pile or salt spill, take some photos and be sure to note the date and time you noticed the pile or spill. Call your city or county Department of Environmental Protection or stormwater division to report large uncovered salt piles. If you need help, contact your local watershed group, or email us at saltwatch@iwla.org and we will help to support your reporting.
If you have time, go back to the area of the spill or pile to follow up and make sure the spill or pile is adequately covered and contained. Many jurisdictions have regulations to help prevent pollution (like salt piles/spills) from entering waterways. If there is no such regulation in your region, advocate for best practices of covering and containing salt piles and cleaning up salt spills to reduce road salt pollution and to protect water, local habitats, and so much more.
Learn what you can do to make a difference
Top photo: This salt pile is covered, but the tarp is not sufficient to prevent the salt from escaping. Credit: Charlie Karl.
Charlie Karl is a guide at the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia, where he had first learned of Izaak Walton and his book, The Compleat Angler. Charlie realized that Walton's understanding of water quality and nature made him a pioneer and inspiration to the environmental movement. Charlie was delighted when two of his interests came together!