NCS000422_SOP For Salt Application_20200218

Standard Operating Procedure for Salt Application
Summary
The application and storage of salts for the purpose of deicing roads, sidewalks and parking lots
can lead to water quality problems in the surrounding areas.
Target Pollutants
• Sediment
• Nutrients
• Metals
• Organics
• Oxygen Demanding
Pollution Prevention
• Use the minimum amount of salt/sand/grave/other product to achieve the desired result.
• Clean up the grit as soon as possible from the working area.
• Consider pre -wetting of salt or use a brine solution as a way to reduce salt application
requirements and better control salt applications.
• Use less harmful deicing products such as calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate
or organic deicers.
• Consider road temperatures when determining the volume of salt to apply.
• Control the rate ofspreading equipping trucks with groundspeed sensors
• Exercise caution when moving salt to reduce spills. Clean up spills quickly.
• Salt should be stored away from water and on impervious surfaces.
• Salt bins should be covered.
• Place salt bins in places not subject to flooding.
• Use diversion berms to minimize runoff in the storage and loading area.
• Give the salt time to work. Time plowing operations to allow maximum melting from the
salt application before plowing.
• Determine when additional applications are needed.
Implementation Status
Most of these practices are well established. Items in italic are being explored for
implementation/improvement.