The politics of salt

Will environmental advocacy regarding salt reduction push communities and ultimately commercial contractors to adopt sectional technology?

By Maura Keller and Catherine LeClerc

This was one of the questions that was debated recently at the Snow Industry Management Association’s (SIMA) 2020 Symposium held virtually on August 26-28, 2020.

It is not a stretch to say that there are times when government officials at the local or regional levels push through decisions that may catch individuals or businesses by surprise. Thus, when participants at SIMA got involved in a discussion about salt use and its environmental impact on wetlands and aquifers, the question about possible governmental action opened the subject to consider how that might play out realistically and in practical terms.

Under the right conditions, the use of liquid brine can save significantly on the amount of salt applied to road surfaces. The issue was framed as followed:

• For years, the inherent environmental concern regarding the use of granular salt has garnered the attention of scientists and environmental activists, with the need to find ways to control its use.

• Research indicates that salt is a potential hazard to lakes, streams, wetlands, underground aquifers, vegetation, and wildlife.

• Salt is currently the product of choice to keep road and parking lot surfaces safe for vehicles and pedestrians.

• Roads and parking lots must stay open for use.

• Therefore, commercial contractors need to think proactively to develop practical solutions to best reduce salt use, especially in those areas with the greatest risk of environmental harm, while keeping roads and parking lots open and safe.

No one believed that there was any alternative to salt that would, in the near term, completely replace it. However, experts agree that without the industry taking the lead, environmental activists lacking a true appreciation of the economics of the business could possibly step in and pass ordinances that would adversely impact large numbers of companies that provide this very essential service. Lake George is at the centre of a decades old effort to protect its ecosystem from various dangers, including road salt.

Alternatives to

granular salt There are several potential sub-zero temperatures. In Edmonton, Liquid saltwater brine is often cited environmentally attractive alternatives for example, the preferred material is as a highly touted alternative to rock to brine, including pickle juice, barley sand, although it is actually a mixture salt because of the theoretical amount or potato residue from distilleries, of salt and sand called “pickle”. The of acreage that can be covered and cheese brine. Volcanic ash, sand salt is added to keep the sand from with brine versus granular salt. and wood chips have also been tried freezing. Unfortunately, conditions and timing alone or in a salt brew. Temperature are critical to brine’s effectiveness has much to do with how effective Improving operator and the unpredictability of storms these various combinations hold up, training goes a long way and temperatures make this a very with some of these combinations In addition to promoting the use imperfect strategy in actual practice. failing in frigid cold, and in some of brine to replace granular salt, Several companies commented that cases leading to a worse ice problem. municipalities are also focusing on they rushed into buying expensive Beet juice, for example, was one of improving wasteful or unnecessary brine equipment some years ago the appealing sounding solutions that practices that are only making the without fully understanding the gained considerable initial press. problem worse. practical challenges associated with However, to work effectively, it still this type of application. They now had to be mixed with some form of Ted Butler, corporate sales director of find themselves returning to rock salt. chloride, and there were complaints Canada Heavy Equipment College in More than one company mentioned about staining of pavement, shoes, and Cambridge, Ontario, has been dealing that their brine equipment will “gather clothing. Additionally, studies found with the issue of salt management dust” over the coming winter (and that the sugar content in beet juice for decades and finds that much can beyond). contributed to high algae growth in be improved by simply focusing on operator training. Performance challenges are not lakes, which in some instances was the only issue, however. Brine de- perceived as more environmentally “Proper operator training can reduce icing brews may not only pollute detrimental than the amount of salt it salt use immensely, generally by half streams and lake water, but can also was replacing. or more,” says Butler. “For our public prematurely rust vehicles and erode concrete road structures. In 2017, Vermont introduced a bill that would In Canada, when you get much outside of the larger population areas in Ontario or Quebec, you start to see works clients, we currently offer 16 courses in our Winter Training Program alone.” have banned the use of brine mixes, less dependency on salt, primarily There are several case studies on the but it was not passed. because it does not work effectively in www.canada.ca website that highlight “Sectional technology can reduce the amount of road salt applied by as much as 40% “ initiatives to reduce road salt with many references to operator best practices. John Allin, founding member of SIMA and perhaps the most recognized expert on the snow and ice management industry, agrees. 14 ISSUE 2 – 2020 | SNOW MANAGER

“Education is key. Operator training is one of the best investments anyone can make, not only to reduce liability expenses but to save significantly on salt use as well,” says Allin. “However, much of the waste in salt comes from a lack of patience. Salt must be allowed to do its job and variables like moisture and the sun allow the salt to do what it is intended to do. This is where the client needs to be educated as well so that the impulse to simply throw down more salt is better managed.”

Going “Sectional”

Replacing road salt completely will be a daunting task, both economically and politically. It is used throughout North America, Europe, Japan, China, and even South America. It is a common material available in great supply and there are no industrialized countries seeking to eliminate it completely, despite the well-publicized environmental issues involved. In all likelihood, the greatest progress that will be made in the next decade will be on efforts to reduce rather than eliminate its use.

One possible scenario is already being witnessed in upstate New York.

Arctic’s Sectional Sno-PusherTM contours to uneven road surfaces for a cleaner pass, saving up to 50 per cent on road salt.

Some municipalities have initiated that contour to pavement anomalies, “sectional” or “segmented edge” plow thus clearing more snow. In 2015, the programs in which contractors, as well S.A.V.E. (Stop Aquatic Invasives from as municipalities are encouraged to Entering) Lake George Partnership use contouring plows and pushers on discovered that the lake’s salt levels their equipment. tripled over the last generation. Biologist Rick Relyea is the director of This resulted in a cry for road salt the Darrin Fresh Water Institute and reductions and specifically the use of the Jefferson Project at Lake George sectioned plows or pushers for nearby at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute municipalities. in Troy, New York, which has been According to a statement from S.A.V.E., studying the effects of road salt since segmented edge technology can 2014. Lake George is a deep, clear “reduce the amount of road salt 32-mile-long body of water in northern applied by as much as 40 per cent.” New York. Relyea and colleagues At the time, the Lake George Park monitor the lake and conduct Commission made it known that experiments in artificial habitats to it could help municipalities apply determine the effects of chloride and for grants to help offset the costs of other components of salts on aquatic these specialty pushers and plows. In life. December 2016, the FUND for Lake Relyea says that to offset the impact George, in conjunction with S.A.V.E, road salt is having on Lake George, delivered a matching grant to the local governments have been Town of Lake George for new sectional adopting plows with sectioned edges equipment.

“ “ ...many commercial snow contractors are able to recoup their investment in “Sectional” technology in their first season of us simply based on salt savings.

Product ShowcaSe

New York is not the only state in which sectional technology is being heralded for its ability to reduce salt’s impact on the environment. It was recently announced that New Hampshire implemented a salt reduction program within its stormwater permitting program with the state’s Department of Transportation which involved investing in sectional snow equipment.

“The business case for practical and significant reduction of salt applications requires a continuous improvement approach and policies that hold the salting process accountable through the use of private performance contracts or public ordinances that follow Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM®) guidelines,” according to Phill Sexton with WIT Advisers who administers the SWiM® program and certifications (www.witadvisers.com/swim). “Program guidelines being followed by municipal ordinances and private properties in Lake George, and many other regions throughout North America include the required use of segmented plow technology as a primary tool for significantly reducing salt use.”

How “going sectional” will affect contractors’ bottom line

This is a topic of which there were many SIMA participants who had some familiarity with the economics of using sectional pushers and plows. While they are more expensive than conventional blades, most users consider that the benefits more than justify the higher cost.

When it comes to “sectional” technology, the dominant company in this space is Arctic Snow and Ice Products, Inc., headquartered in Frankfort, IL. It was the one brand consistently referenced by the symposium members, and as such was given centre stage for illustration purposes. “I think it is safe to say that most experts consider the Arctic Sectional Sno-PusherTM far and away the best snow pusher in the industry in terms of performance, safety, survivability, and overall value,” said Allin.

By all accounts, the Arctic story is well known to the entire industry and especially SIMA members, as it was one of its founding sponsors. The company is broadly recognized as the only major manufacturer that is also a major service provider, a fact that is well appreciated by other snow contractors. According to Allin, “The industry has long recognized the Arctic team for having a deep understanding of the brutal demands of their industry, perhaps more so than any other manufacturer. The fact that they are also such a large service contractor helps explain their reputation for building a thoroughly tested product that performs expertly in the field under the toughest conditions.”

Arctic invented the highly patented Sectional Sno-Pusher in 1995 for their own service fleet and used and refined it for 11 years before launching it to the public in 2006, where it has consistently grown market share each year. Nearly all units produced since 1995 are still in use thanks to an all-modular design that enables every sectional pusher and plow to be maintained in near new condition.

One of the key strengths of the Arctic Sectional when compared to standard designs is its ability to cleanly scrape a surface on the first pass because its independent sections effectively contour to surfaces in ways that a

The annual SIMA Symposium and Expo is the industry’s largest gathering of snow professionals, drawing nearly 2,500 participants and over 30 speakers from North America and Europe.

single piece blade cannot. As a result, customers claim that, in addition to saving considerable time, they also save an average of 50 per cent on salt use. This is a key economic driver for their purchase, as many can recoup their investment in one season of use.

Selecting the right tool for the job

Recently, some other manufacturers introduced their own spring-based segmented edge variations that, in average-to-ideal conditions, are effective in contouring to lots and roadways, reducing the use of salt by as much as 40 per cent. Their best use is on municipal salt trucks that handle light snow and general cleanup efforts on open roadways. However, construction equipment like wheel loaders are the workhorses for heavy wet snow, ice and hardpacked snow, as well as all parking lots, the typical landscape for commercial contractors. This is where spring designs often fail.

By their very nature, spring designs cannot drop much below grade to get into areas where snow may gather and are incapable of applying down pressure to cutting edges to clear ice or hardpack since they are designed to release under pressure. They also show a fragile side when encountering larger obstacles, since they are attached metal to metal. These are all issues to consider both in terms of performance and survivability.

Conversely, the Arctic design uses a patented polyurethane mounting block system instead of springs, allowing the “sectional” to clear large obstacles up to eight inches in height, get into depressions up to eight inches deep, withstand collisions without major damage, and apply as little or as much down pressure as necessary (up to 30,000 pounds) directly to the cutting edge to clear ice and hardpack snow easily — something no other design can do. The “polyblocks” are also the primary reason that Arctic’s safety record is what it is. The inexpensive and easily replaced polyblocks are designed to act as the key line of protection in any event that would otherwise cause catastrophic loss to the equipment or seriously injure the operator.

Economically, its ability to seamlessly float over obstacles saves on equipment, property, and operators. Its unique ability to perform sidewalk cleaning simultaneously also saves time and money as well. Lastly, contractors exclusively employing Arctic Sectionals in their fleet have reportedly been able to lower their insurance premiums, based on documented evidence of reduced property and injury claims.

Conclusion

For commercial snow contractors, it may only be a matter of time before environmental advocacy threatens those firms hanging onto older pusher technology that encourages greater salt use. Thus, the decision to swap one’s conventional pusher fleet for sectional alternatives may or may not be voluntary. In the meantime, it may be advisable for snow contractors to introduce sectional technology to their own operations if they have not already. Given the economic benefits that many are already realizing with this equipment, this may be a winwin for both environmentalists and commercial snow contractors alike. ■

Maura Keller is a seasoned writer, editor, and published author with more than 22 years of experience. She has written about business, design, marketing, health care, and a wealth of other topics for dozens of regional and national publications, as well as Fortune 500 employee communication materials.

Catherine LeClerc is a freelance writer, consultant, and bilingual publicist living in Quebec with more than five years of research and reporting on issues related to environmentalism and the snow industry.