CREATING AND SUSTAINING INCREASED DEMAND FOR ROAD SALT

摘要

Winston Churchill once declared: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." So is it with salt used for winter roadway maintenance. Our "loyal customers" would rather use another product - if a suitable alternative was available. Salt creates problems for the road and the roadway environment. More than $2 billion in U.S. roadway user fees are expended each year paying the direct costs of snowfighting (labor, equipment and manpower) beyond the expenditures for the road salt itself. Billions more are required to deal with environmental damage from snow and ice damage. Yet the benefits derived are so enormous that salt is acknowledged as the best product for this essential task. A major research report published by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in 2007 confirmed salt's superiority for use above 12°F(-11°C).