Could beets reduce Philly's dependence on road salt? frankkummer breaks down a City Council hearing that looked at alternatives to road salt which can pollute streams, endanger aquatic life, and corrode pipes and vehicles.
. For example, there is a 500-foot rise in elevation between Philadelphia International Airport and Chestnut Hill.“Salt is the most effective and quickest way to treat roadways,” Montanez said. “Not only within the city but also across the country. However, there are environmental impacts. Salt is a metal, and when it gets into our streams and rivers it is difficult to remove. Also too much salt can be destructive to certain species of vegetation.
Though Montanez did not specifically address BEET HEET, he said the city has discussed using beet products, but for a number of reasons, decided against it. Among the reasons: the city can’t store it for long periods like salt, which can be stockpiled for years. As for agricultural products, such as beets, Krafcykz said the products have to be manufactured with other additives but are more expensive than salt “and require separate material handling systems and storage systems ... and again, they cannot be kept from year to year.”
“It’s the private applicators who have the least training,” said John Jackson, senior research scientist at theLaura Toran, a hydrogeologist and professor at Temple University, called the salt issue a “really tough problem to solve.”