THANKS BE TO GOD FOR THE RAIN.
TEMPORARY RELIEF FROM THE
WHITE DEATH.

During December and January state and
local governments have dumped excessive
amounts of road salt on roadways.

If a cost-benefit analysis of this practice
were undertaken, it would reveal that
the costs far outweigh any benefits.

Road salt accelerates deterioration of
our transportation infrastructure
including road surfaces and bridges.

Road salt rusts our expensive motor
vehicles and rots their expensive tires.

Road salt contaminates our environment
including soil and water supplies; and
kills urban street trees.

Road salt causes health problems for
people, livestock and pets. It drys and
becomes airborne mixing with ozone
from vehicle exhausts contributing to
respiratory, lung, hypertension, kidney
heart and related health problems?

The current rains are washing the salt
from the air and roads, allowing us to
breathe easier for a few days.

However, when the next snow and ice
storms threaten; state, county, city and
town governments will be back at work
dumping excessive amounts of road
salt everywhere. They will not be alone
malls, supermarkets, hospitals, health
care providers, colleges and universities
and homeowners will be doing the same.

Isn't it ironic that governments are taking
actions aimed at restricting our salt intakes
in foods and restaurants, while doing
nothing to restrict their force feeding us
tons of road salt? Nothing to reduce the
costs of this practice?

Consider how much road salt finds it's
way into Buckingham Pond and what
adverse impact this has on pond ecology.

Look at the roadway to Thacher Park
and observe the guard rails that are
falling over the edge of the cliff. Can
entire sections of the road be far behind?

As you ride under elevated roads along
I-90, 787 and downtown Albany, observe
the damaging effects of road salt on the steel
and concrete above you. What about that
below you?

As you traverse Albany City streets, dodging
potholes, do you realize that excessive road
salt dumping by City OGS is a major factor
in the deterioration of those road surfaces?

Observe the poor condition of trees that
line city streets.

From highlands surrounding Albany and
other urban places, how many times , in
Winter and Spring, are those places obscurred
a blanket of smog, containing, among other
contaminates, airborne dried road salt?



You get the idea. Now, get after state, county
city and town governments to change their
ways. Malls, supermarkets, hospitals, schools
and all the others too.

Lastly, when weather is bad, roads icy and
snow covered, or flooded, ....slow down!

Joe Sullivan