Winter use of road salt to melt snow and ice is a common practice in much of the US. While necessary for increasing the safety of roads and sidewalks, road salt is expensive and detrimental to the environment. This salt is carried into streams, lakes, and rivers where it poses risks to infrastructure, human health, and aquatic life. It can also negatively impact turf, landscapes and buildings as it migrates from the original site of application.

Brining, a method used by some in the St. Louis area, utilizes the same salt, but the salt is dissolved in water and sprayed on the roads before the storm. This application method has been touted as an alternative that reduces material expenses as well as negative environmental impacts. Learn more about how brining has been tested in the St. Louis region and determine if this method could be an effective solution on your campus or community’s roads.

Speakers will include Danelle Haake, PhD Candidate, St. Louis University, Department of Biology, and Roland Biehl, Environmental Specialist, St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District.  To learn more about the impacts of road salt use and the effectiveness of brining to reduce those impacts, please attend this workshop, hosted by the St. Louis Higher Education Sustainability Consortium.