Snow and Ice Control Environmental Best Management Practices

There is a need for the identification of environmental best management practices (BMPs) to aid in responsible and cost-effective operation of winter maintenance programs. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are continually challenged to provide a high level of service on winter roadways and improve safety and mobility in a cost-effective manner, while at the same time minimizing adverse effects to the environment, vehicles, and transportation infrastructure. Understanding and minimizing the negative impacts of deicers is critical to effective and responsible winter maintenance operations. Increasing contamination from the continued use of snow and ice control products has become a significant environmental concern that has detrimental effects on air, water, soil, vegetation, humans, and wildlife. Snow and ice control BMPs have been developed in all aspects of winter maintenance operations. This paper will focus on snow and ice control BMPs with the greatest potential to decrease the environmental impacts of winter maintenance operations including proper material storage and handling, applying the right amount of material in the right place at the right time, and facility management and post storm clean-up. By utilizing the identified best practices, an organization can realize cost and material saving, reduced person and vehicle hours and emissions, and realize a reduction in the impacts of snow and ice control operations on the environment.