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Virginia Senate OKs study of alternatives to road salt, sponsor says it will 'protect fish'
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Summary
The Senate passed SB 482, directing VDOT to evaluate pretreatment and de-icing alternatives to rock salt, including environmental impacts and costs. The measure passed 39–1 after sponsors said the study will assess options such as beet juice and corrosion impacts.
Senate Bill 482, directing the Virginia Department of Transportation to study alternatives to rock salt for roadway de-icing and pretreatment, passed the Virginia Senate by a 39–1 margin on Feb. 10.
The sponsor, the "Senator from Western Prince William," framed the bill as a study to examine environmental and infrastructure impacts of current treatment substances and to compare nonchemical alternatives, new technologies and costs. The sponsor read from a January study about sodium spikes in the Occoquan Reservoir watershed and said the bill will look at why rock salt is used (cost, de-icing, some traction) and whether alternatives provide acceptable tradeoffs.
In response to a direct question from the "Senator from Virginia Beach" about beet juice, the sponsor said the bill's language intentionally leaves alternatives broadly defined so VDOT can examine a wide range of options and that "beet juice is a thing that has come up before."
The clerk announced the final vote: 39 to 1 in favor. The chair declared SB 482 passes.
Next steps: The bill will direct VDOT to measure present substances’ effects on infrastructure and the environment and compare those to potential alternatives; implementation details and timelines are left to the study.
