PennDOT reports having used an average of over 801,000 tons of salt on its roadways over each of the last five winters. This staggering number does not include the amount that municipal governments, businesses, and individuals used. It takes only one teaspoon of salt to permanently contaminate five gallons of water, and salt is permanently changing the chemistry of our freshwater streams. Even salt concentrations generally recognized as safe can negatively affect our freshwater ecosystems, and high salt concentrations are toxic to fish and other wildlife that absorb or drink it.
 
For these reasons and more, I will be introducing a bill, based on Maryland’s state law, directing PennDOT and the Department of Environmental Protection to collaborate and develop best management practices for the use and reduction of salt to treat roadways in Pennsylvania.
 
Salt corrodes and destroys our infrastructure and vehicles, costing about $5 billion worth of damage in the U.S. each year. Some cities have implemented alternative practices, such as applying anti-icing brine solutions made with biodegradable substances to reduce the amount of salt needed. For example, PennDOT used 12.6 million gallons of salt brine in the winter of 2021-2022. Others have opted to mix their rock salt with sand or chips that can help create more traction on roads and be reused in future winters.
 
Other road applications or plowing practices can keep our roads safe for winter driving without putting the environment and wildlife at such a risk. Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation to move toward more sustainable road salt management practices in Pennsylvania.