The pros and cons over liquid calcium chloride

There has been a lot of controversy lately about the use of liquid calcium chloride (CaCl2CL2) for treating roads during snowstorms. Those who oppose the use of CaClL2 cite rust and corrosion of motor vehicles as the major reason for their concern.     Those who favor the use of CaCl2CaCL2 cite safer roads, less clean-up costs and reduced salt usage as the primary reasons for continuing its use.
The trend in the past five or six years has been for highway departments to use more salt and less sand. As the use of treated salt is expanded to cover more miles of roads, everyone’s vehicle is exposed to more salt for longer periods of time.
In order for the salt to work at temperatures below 20o degrees F, it has to be treated with something. There are many additives including calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, Ice Ban Magic, Ice-B-Gone, Geo-Melt and others. Regardless of which product is used, it is still added to salt to make the salt work at colder temperatures.
Presque Isle Public Works has tried all of the previously mentioned additives and has found that there is not much difference oinon their effectiveness. We are currently using calcium chloride because it is less expensive at this time.
We add 10 gallons of 32 percent CaCl2CaCL2 to each ton of salt as it comes out of the spreader. Thirty-two percent CaCl2CaCL2 means that each gallon of liquid used is 32 percent CaCl2CL2 and 68 percent water. This equatesd to 3.2 gallons of CaCl2CaCL2 per tone of salt applied to our roadways. Generally, a tone of salt will treat six and one half miles of road at 300 pounds of salt per mile. The amount of calcium chloride used is not significant and is not the evil doer it is portrayed to be.
Some of the opponents of calcium chloride have said that we should go back to the old way and use sand. That sand still needs to be mixed with salt.
Presque Isle cannot go back to the old way. We have a consent agreement with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection which restricts the type of materials we can use in town. We have to control the dust and using salt and CaCl2CaCL2 is the only way we have been able to comply with the agreement.
Aside from that, people seem to have forgotten what the old way was like. When the snow came in November it packed on the roads and turned to ice. It stayed that way until spring. Now, within hours after a storm you have bare pavement to drive on. It is much safer than it used to be.
Certainly while it’s snowing it is slippery driving. It would be slippery if we didn’t put anything down. In a study conducted by Marquette University, using salt resulted in an 88 percent reduction in winter traffic accidents in the four hours following its application. The severity of accidents was reduced by 10 percent.
The severity of accidents was reduced by 10%. It’s clear that today’s methods of snow removal, anti-icing and deicing are much better than the old way. Oh, and let’s not forget the chipped paint and broken windshields from the old days.
There are no easy answers to the corrosion debated. Adding calcium chloride to the salt makes our roads safer.
The best weapon toin the  fight against corrosion is soap and water!
    Gerry James is Public Works Director for the city of Presque Isle. He can be reached at 764-2560 or online at gerryjames@mfx.net.