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Mobilities JournalMain MenuCourse ProjectPublic TransportationBuses, Trains, SubwaysWalkabilityBikeabilityAutomobilityAccessibilityBorders and MigrationsParks, Outdoors and GreenspaceClimate ChangeVirtual Worlds and Digital MobilitiesAlternate Mobilitiesdavid kim87de7bc2484fc682d989967c7b88823ef2ab67e3
12024-05-17T11:04:45-07:00Road Salt and the Environment7The effects of road salt on the environment and mobility.plain2024-05-17T11:09:41-07:00On my walk home through a sidewalk path by the Newark Methodist Church, as the ice and snow of winter finally melted I was met with yellow, dead grass along the edges of this path. These sections of dead grass are likely due to the church’s use of salt during the winter. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “road salt can contaminate drinking water, kill or endanger wildlife, increase soil erosion, and damage private and public property” (Winter is Coming!). It is a difficult task to decide where and when to prioritize people’s safety with the safety and lives of flora and fauna in our communities. There are other alternatives such as sand, which can be used to protect pedestrians and vehicles from dangerous ice during winter months. The impact that sand has on waterways and wildlife is minimal compared to that of salt (3 Road Salt Alternatives).