Thursday, January 22, 2009
Meanwhile - in Washington State
Sand or salt? Let the environmental games begin...
Susan Kelleher and Warren Cornwall report in on the SeattleTimes website:
"Sand — one of Seattle's main weapons against icy streets — is more likely to harm aquatic life than the salt the city refuses to use out of concern for its environmental effects.
That's the opinion of scientists who have studied the issue and officials from other cities that use salt to clear icy roads.
Seattle doesn't use salt, an effective ice-buster used widely by other cities and the state Department of Transportation, because of environmental concerns.
Since last Thursday, Seattle has sprinkled more than 6,000 tons of sand on city streets and this week ordered 700 more tons for storage."
