Resident Lance Poli urges trial of calcium magnesium acetate as town considers road-salt alternatives

Resident Lance Poli presented a detailed case to the Jericho Select Board for testing calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) as an alternative to traditional sodium‑chloride road salt, saying higher upfront material costs can be offset by lower long‑term infrastructure and environmental damage.

Poli, who identified himself as a longtime Jericho resident and environmental educator, told the board that CMA runs about $600 per ton versus roughly $100 per ton for rock salt but cited itemized “hidden” costs — bridge and rebar corrosion, culvert and utility failures, vehicle corrosion, roadside vegetation loss, and freshwater toxicity — that his source (Adirondack Research) estimated could raise the effective cost of rock salt to about $2,500 per ton. “The takeaway,” Poli said, “CMA is far less expensive than road salt in the long run — just for costs.”

Board members and highway staff pressed for operational details. Poli said CMA is available in granular form and can be dispensed with current spreader equipment, is effective over certain temperature ranges, and requires moisture‑proof indoor storage (or sealed drums) because it is more moisture‑sensitive than rock salt. Highway staff described current tracking of tonnage by route and said the town’s salt shed holds on the order of a few hundred tons, meaning storage and staging would be key constraints for any switch.

The board asked about supply and procurement. Poli and staff noted that the Chittenden County buildout by regional vendors is ongoing (phase connections vary), CMA is sold in the region, but shipments often arrive by rail, so availability can be affected in broad shortages. One board member noted a neighboring town invested roughly $100,000 in a new storage structure when adopting alternatives, underscoring capital tradeoffs.

Poli formally asked the board to allocate about 10 percent of the next fiscal year’s salt budget for a trial of CMA and other salt‑reduction strategies, with the highway department and conservation committee to report back on results. Board members directed staff to research vendors, storage options, truck setup costs, and small pilot sizes (a few tons), and to check how neighboring towns handle procurement and storage. Volunteer and staff leads (Jacob and Megan were identified in the meeting) were asked to gather information for the budget cycle and return with recommendations.

Why it matters: Road‑salt chemicals are widely used for winter safety but can accelerate corrosion, harm freshwater ecosystems, and damage roadside vegetation. Towns weighing the tradeoffs must balance immediate budget pressures against longer‑term capital and environmental costs.

What’s next: The select board agreed to investigate supply availability, storage solutions, and pilot parameters and requested a follow‑up briefing ahead of budget deliberations.