City of West Des Moines Wins National Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting Award

A news release from the city of West Des Moines:

The city of West Des Moines has won a 2012 Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting award from the Salt Institute for excellence in environmental consciousness and effective management in the storage of winter road salt.

Clear winter roads protect lives and commerce. Every winter, more than 116,000 Americans are injured and over 1,300 killed as a result of pavement that is snow, slush or ice covered, according to the federal government. But a study of highways in Snow Belt states showed that road salt reduces crashes by 88 percent.

When the direct and indirect impact of road shutdowns on the broader economy is factored in, road salt becomes even more valuable. A one-day major snowstorm can cost a state $300 to $700 million in direct and indirect costs, lost commerce and productivity. In fact, deicing pays for itself within the first 25 minutes after the salt is spread – making proper salt storage and timely deicing a smart investment.

“In West Des Moines, Iowa providing safe roads for winter travel is a major component of the City’s winter operations plan. While safety is one key factor, another area of emphasis is environmental stewardship,” said Public Works Director Bret Hodne. “Utilizing training information from the Salt Institutes ‘Sensible Salting Guidelines’ and ‘Salt Storage Handbook,’ Public Works staff in West Des Moines are equipped with the latest information to provide safe winter roads with a focus minimizing any impacts to the environment.”

“These facilities have cleared a high bar,” said Salt Institute President Lori Roman. “For example, in minimizing salt runoff alone, 10 specific recommendations must be met.”

About 17 million tons of deicing salt is applied to roadways in the U.S. each year and another six million tons are spread in Canada. Having enough road salt on hand before storms hit requires advance planning and facilities that provide safe and efficient storage. Winners must also display proper maintenance and good housekeeping practices.

“The familiar sight of trucks spreading salt on icy winter roads gives motorists reassurance, as it should,” said Roman. “If that salt was stored in and spread by a facility honored with a Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting award, motorists have the added assurance of knowing the utmost care has been taken to protect public safety and the environment.”

Only 145 local agencies in the U.S. and Canada received this recognition, including 23 new recipients. A complete list by state is available from the Salt Institute.