------ Sara Mattes
> On Jan 16, 2022, at 3:02 PM, Dennis Liu <[email protected]> wrote: > > Curious, so a few more questions. Perhaps the Conservation Commission has > already studied this, given Joan’s point? Would appreciate any answers/data. Looks like Alice / The Squirrel will jump-start this, but for the questions she does not answer…. > > What’s the acceptable level of sodium in drinking water? This should be available on PublIC Health websites, or a Google search > Do we have data on the level of sodium in Lincoln public drinking water? This should be available from Water Dept. > Do we have data on the level of sodium in private wells in Lincoln? How would you obtain this? These are private wells, subject to private ownership that may or may not have their wells tested and may or may not report them to a public data base. I am on a private well and no one has ever asked me if I have tested and/or asked for the results. Do we have data on how sodium levels in Lincoln are being affected by road salt, rather than any natural fluctuations in sodium levels? What are "natural fluctuations?” > Does this data cover salting from Route 2 (is that done by state DPW), versus > residential roads? Studies show that most of the salting is from highway use. Contact Mass Highway and DEP to get this info. WOOudl you nto alaso want ot look at Rt2A, 126 and 117? > If so, do we then have any studies that show it’s road salt from being spread > on roads, rather than leaking from storage – which is the leading cause of > salt entering water supplies? Do you know where salt is stored in Lincoln? Perhaps you should find that out as a first step. > If we don’t have this data, then on what basis should we have concern about > this issue affecting drinking water in Lincoln? This presumes there are no answers. Let’s wait and see what Alice reports and what you find. Perhaps you can summarize for us. > > I would also ask the same questions – replacing impact on human drinking > water with questions on data showing adverse impacts on wildlife. > > This is a somewhat dated but completely on-topic report: > https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/sr/sr235/099-112.pdf > <https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/sr/sr235/099-112.pdf> > > Perhaps it’d be helpful to all of us and the Town to get some answers on this > before calling up and lobbying the DPW? Yes, it would be helpful. Maybe you can begin? > > Thanks, > > --Dennis > > From: Joan Kimball <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2022 2:39 PM > To: Dennis Liu <[email protected]> > Cc: LincolnTalk.org <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Too much - or too little - salt on the road > > When I was on the Conservation Commission we were concerned about salt > because of health of the wetlands and protecting our drinking water supply, > all of which is contained and originates in Lincoln. > > Joan > > > On Sun, Jan 16, 2022, 2:34 PM Dennis Liu <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> Since this seems to be a growing conversation, a couple of points as food >> for thought. >> >> As with everything else involving politics and public works, we have to ask >> ourselves when considering taking action – “what are the TRADEOFFS for >> taking a proposed action?” Or “Every benefit has a cost; what is it in this >> case?” >> >> It’s not only the impact on the town budget (for the salt, and for the DPW >> crew’s time). It’s also about SAFETY. >> >> What’s the cost of avoiding an accident? Every year, 1,300 people are >> killed and 116,800 people are injured due to vehicle accidents on snow, >> slushy or icy pavement. What’s the cost of a life lost, or injury suffered? >> >> >> What about the cost of damaging or destroying a vehicle – and whatever the >> vehicle hits? Pedestrians struck in crosswalks or on sidewalks? Damaged >> telephone poles, buildings, signs, parked cars? >> >> And let’s not forget the massive associated costs – lawsuits. Why do >> businesses seemingly always “oversalt” their parking lots, roads and paths? >> Because it’s a really, really common and easy-to-win lawsuit. The cost of >> putting down ice melt is a tiny, tiny cost of paying for a lawsuit, even >> with insurance. Indeed, some insurance policies require plowing and salting. >> >> So, from the Town’s perspective – the “cost” for salting the roads is a >> combination of the actual expense for the salt, the cost for DPW time (and >> amortized expense of running salters), and, arguably, the externality cost >> of having some degree of “excess” salt entering into water. The “benefit” >> of salting, even salting to “excess”, is the avoidance of lawsuits, and >> avoiding more accidents, causing harm to life, limb and property. >> >> Avoiding excessive salting is a good thing! But if the Town is unable to >> lay down some perceived “perfect” quantity of salt, given the constantly >> changing weather conditions, surely it’d be better to oversalt by some >> degree, given the inherent risks? >> >> I urge everyone concerned about this issue to study NOT ONLY the impact of >> road salt on water and wildlife, but also take into account the impact of a >> life lost – perhaps a friend or loved one – as well as the economic impact >> from these accidents. >> >> HTH, >> >> --Dennis >> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>. >> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/ >> <http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/>. >> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ >> <https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/>. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln >> <https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln>. >> > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
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