It can't be good. In Massachusetts, roads that are anyways near public water supplies have signage that says "minimum salt in use". I'd prefer that the signs read "no salt in use". Salt doesn't help steel bridges either.
Speaking of things spread on the roads, did they spread used motor oil on the gravel roads to keep the dust down in some states? or was that a Quebec thing. Hasn't been done in many years as someone figured out the oil ends up in the water table and lakes. I have memories of that oil smell walking down the road in the summer in cottage country north of montreal.
Yes, they did it on the many gravel country roads where I'm from in Montana. If you go out gopher hunting, you'll still find a miles long oil trail every now and then, they just don't spread it like they used to.
While I'm not surprised that oil was also used on gravel roads in the States for dust suppression, I am surprised it's still going on in 13 States! Practice has been illegal for at least 30 years here. I was amazed to read that road dust represents 47% of particulate matter air pollution, not to mention Radium contamination. https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/study-dust-suppresant-puts-radium-into-air-water
I'm sure it's not legal, and you'd never see it done in the county I'm in now.....back where I'm from, though, is a little more "country". As I said, you won't see them spreading it out, but you'll find miles of tracks on gravel roads where a big tanker must have had a drain plug come loose........
I live outside of Buffalo NY in the country and they used to spread oil on the dirt roads here also (1980's). I loved it since my high school 72 skylark had rusted floor boards and quarter panels so the dust would pour in when I drove down the road. Opening the window made it worse.
They are dumping it now. Friday is march. They know what they are doing. Getting rid of it the easiest. and cheapest way they know how. on the roads. They are told to do it. That’s the oldest trick in the book. It saves township and Municipalities. Mucho Grande $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Sad Roads cars grass and streams . Have to suffer
They used to put brine with crude from on local oil wells here the state put a stop to that now they use something more than oil because it takes diesel or bug tar remover to get it off your car
Here in Michigan they used to use oil for many years once cars/trucks started trveling roads to keep the dust down Today they use cloride, On my gravel road they come and do a really thruo gradeing, except no packing. they then come in with a big tanker and lay the cloride down so the gravel turns to mud. Think Cloride is any beter for your car/truck than salt. Not on your life, many a old tractor that had tires filled with cloride for weight have rotted out rims today. Seems to me that cloride would get in the ground water too at some point. Al
The small community in Missouri where the wife is from, was practically destroyed from them putting down oil laced with PCB's to control dust. Many homes can't be sold to this day because of soil contamination. Father in law was too cheap to pay for oil on his driveway so his property wasn't contaminated.
