Salt used to clear streets is accumulating in local creeks and rivers and seeping into groundwater, contaminating fresh water supplies.
Salt used to keep roadways free of ice and snow is accumulating in waterways, causing dangerously high salinity levels in water bodies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, reports Susan Phillips for WHYY.
According to a study led by the Stroud Water Research Center, “Of more than 700 locations sampled, 61% exceeded aquatic life thresholds set by the Environmental Protection Agency.” Roughly the same amount tested well above the healthy accepted drinking water standard for people on a low-salt diet.
The study was conducted in October, before the road salt season starts. During winter, salt levels in some water bodies are twice as salty as seawater, Phillips adds. The salt is also seeping into the ground and contaminating groundwater supplies.
Some states, such as Maryland and New Hampshire, are taking steps to minimize road salt use. “Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a new bill that would require PennDot and the Department of Environmental Protection to develop best practices for salting roadways, similar to Maryland’s protocols.”
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