Slippery roads and sidewalks are a big risk in wintertime, and there’s no better way to deal with them than adding a little salt. But for every action, there is a consequence, and when all that salt is added up, it’s having an impact on lakes and rivers. That’s what our Eastern neighbors in Minnesota have discovered; when the salt washes off our roads and sidewalks, it causes damage to the watershed and the infrastructure itself.
What’s the solution? There is no easy one. When it comes to ice, safety for people is directly at odds with what is safe for the environment. So, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is asking for mindfulness when using salt. They’re asking citizens to adopt a less is more approach.
Why does this matter in Minot? We have water, too.