Warm winter leads to a significant decrease in road salt usage in Michigan

Michigan experiences a reduction in road salt application, benefiting budgets and the environment.

Kelly House reports for Bridge Michigan.

In short:

Michigan's mild winter resulted in a 37% drop in road salt usage on state highways.
This decrease may save the state approximately $10 million and mitigate environmental impacts.
Experts suggest that warmer winters could reduce the future need for road salting.

Key quote:

"We’ve been trying to make a conscious effort to reduce our salt use."

— Tim Croze, statewide maintenance and operations manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation

Why this matters:

Runoff containing road salt can infiltrate freshwater systems, leading to elevated salinity levels in lakes, rivers and groundwater. This increase in salinity can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, harming or even killing plants and wildlife adapted to freshwater environments.

www.greatlakesnow.org

Warm winter leads to a significant decrease in road salt usage in Michigan

Despite record renewable growth, China is still betting on coal

Why the media keep quoting the same climate scientist

Want a job drilling for geothermal? A Northeast training hub is coming.

Opinion: Feds order a Florida power plant to keep burning dirty coal

Can controlled burns reduce California’s air pollution?

Inside the campaign to discredit a key climate science report

Mark Carney adviser says AI data centres ‘provide markets’ for gas

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.