You can Beet Our Roads

Since the snows are not yet over, I thought that a follow-up article on the use of road salt on US 20 would be appropriate.

The severe snow falls this year in the eastern half of the US created a shortage in road salt and alternatives were sought. One of the alternatives to a salt solution is a mixture of brine (salt water) and sugar beet juice.

“In Indiana, K-Tech Specialty Coatings has been distributing “Beet Heet,” a sugar beet molasses-based product that increases rock salt’s ice melting capacity when the two are mixed. The mixture helps rock salt melt ice below its 15-degree limit, according to Beet Heet distributors, and helps municipalities melt larger amounts of ice and clean up snow more quickly.”

“This year about 175 municipal agencies, mostly in the Midwest, are using the product. Butler County in Pennsylvania has been experimenting with the solution as part of a department or transportation research project into de-icing option, a PennDot official told TIME.” http://time.com/5761/salt-shortage-triggers-beet-juice-cheese-brine-alternatives/

The sugar beet juice is a natural byproduct of beet processing. The sugar beet juice reportedly reduces the amount of salt necessary in solution to be effective. The beet-brine also reportedly coats and seals the pavement, reducing the number of applications necessary to maintain the roads. This mixture reduces salt costs, is less destructive to the asphalt and is less corrosive to vehicles.

Eastern Idaho is known for raising sugar beets. The use of beet juice to maintain Idaho highway safety in winter is a natural fit and there is no more appropriate location than Island Park.  This reduction in salt use will create less salt runoff, reducing the possibility of increasing salinity of our rivers. It will be less harmful to plant life and hopefully, less of an attractant for wildlife.

Any action that makes economic sense, has less of an impact on the environment and utilizes local waste products is a win for all involved. The best public policy is one where there is no loser.

This may be one of those opportunities.

Island Park’s Giant Salt Lick

With spring’s arrival, I began contemplating summer. That led me to reflect on the number of big game animals that were struck by vehicles in Island Park last year. My instinct was to blame the rise on increasing traffic or the 65 mph speed limit. I asked a knowledgeable resident last week if he had any thoughts about the escalating wildlife collisions, he proffered that the use of salt solution to de-ice the highway attracts wildlife to the right of way.

I hadn’t considered the possibility that the brine was creating a danger to big game animals, but it made sense. Spraying the solution repeatedly on highway 20 over the winter turns the road through the caldera into a 30 mile long salt lick. If the moose, elk, deer and antelope are drawn to the highway, they are one wrong turn from a deadly encounter with a motor vehicle.

I Googled the topic of “road salt attracting wildlife” and found a list of state government sites (especially in New England) which indicate that they have been aware of this problem for some time. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services posts this information on their web site:

“Road salt in the environment affects the health of wildlife, including birds and mammals. Birds, the most sensitive wildlife species to salt, often mistake road salt crystals for seeds or grit. Consumption of very small amounts of salt can result in toxicosis and death within the bird population. Wildlife such as deer and moose are also attracted to the roadway to ingest salt crystals, which leads to higher incidents of vehicular accidents and wildlife kills. Particularly high concentrations of sodium and chloride can be found in snow melt, which many animals drink to relieve thirst and potentially can cause salt toxicity including dehydration, confusion and weakness, among other symptoms. Road salt can cause a decline among populations of salt sensitive species reducing natural diversity. Damage to vegetation can have significant impact on wildlife habitat by destroying food resources, shelter and breeding and nesting sites, and by creating a favorable environment for non-native invasive species.”

http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/was/salt-reduction-initiative/impacts.htm

It seems counterproductive to invite people to vacation in Island Park, attract large wildlife to the highway and hope that the visitors can survive the gauntlet.

Those in charge of snow removal on Highway 20 might want to reconsider their options. In the meantime, it would seem prudent to increase the number of “Beware of Wildlife” signs on the highway. There are numerous “Snowmobile Crossing” signs already in place. It would not require much time or money to add the additional folding signs to the posts.