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John,
I got a response back from the DOT. They're using a "kindler, gentler" salt in the Seattle area. Here's the email I got:
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I am replying to your email concerning chemicals used by WSDOT for deicing. As you noted, we have taken a more aggressive approach
to anti-icing in an attempt to discourage the formation of ice on our roads. This approach is not 100% effective, but has allowed us to reduce our use of sand as a traction aid. When more severe winter weather strikes, we have to shift gears to a deicing mode which frequently involves the use of sand for traction, mixed with a small amount of deicer. The deicing chemical we are currently using in the Seattle area on state highways is a product made by Cargill call Clear Lane PNS. It is a solid sodium chloride product, which is rock salt treated with a corrosion inhibitor. This product has to meet a specification of "70% less corrosive" than untreated salt. We will also be testing the use of straight Clear Lane, or very high concentrations of Clear Lane mixed with sand, to further limit our use of sand.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or call.
Patrick J. Moylan
Maintenance and Operations Manager
Northwest Region, WSDOT
206.440.4655
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I googled Cargill Clear Lane PNS - from a cursory search, it appears that this product is likely a custom spec for the PNS organization (PNW/BC snow clearing consortium). I infer that spreading sand and/or cleaning it is not very cost-effective, or is possibly troublesome with regard to ESA issues??
This year anyway, it appears to be a moot point: at the rate we're going now, the only "solid sodium chloride product" we'll be seeing this winter is the Mortons Iodized we shake on our food--and unfortunately, these days, "when it rains (at sea level), it pours (rain in the passes)"...
-unhappy skier :-(
posted by 216.160.9...
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