NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 4, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Carol Andrews, Environmental Engineer
218-625-3862
St. Louis County Public Works hosts open house to share best practices in reducing salt use in winter road maintenance
Public Works professionals from around the region gathered at St. Louis County's Public Works facility in Pike Lake on Wednesday to share best practices in reducing salt use while maintaining safe driving conditions throughout the winter. Winter maintenance requires finding balance between public safety, budget considerations, and reducing harm to the environment caused by salt.
St. Louis County Public Works has invested heavily in recent years in new systems to reduce salt use and other costs associated with winter road maintenance. This includes a brine making system for pre-treating roads, new snowplows with customized equipment for applying the brine, and a new camera system for remote monitoring of road conditions throughout the county.
These systems were all on display at the open house as Public Works professionals from Superior, Cloquet, Proctor, Carlton County and Bayfield County joined with St. Louis County and Wisconsin Salt Wise to share best practices. Discussion topics also included salt storage, truck calibrations, plow blades, and analysis of where to apply salt.
Wisconsin Salt Wise’s Allison Madison states, “All the salt that we put down on our sidewalks, driveways and roads ends up in our lakes, streams, or drinking water. We need all communities to follow St. Louis County’s lead and take salt use seriously.”
St. Louis County Public Works has been able to reduce salt use by approximately 30%, and is now producing enough brine to assist several other municipalities.
"A lot of the improvements we've been able to make are thanks to ideas that come from our equipment operators," said Matt Beyer, St. Louis County Public Works Maintenance Principal. "They're the ones driving the plows and seeing what works best. So hosting an event like this draws in even more ideas and helps all of us do our job better, which results in safer conditions for everyone."
"St. Louis County has been able to continuously reduce the amount of salt and other materials applied by using brine and other proprietary materials that activate quicker, are more effective in reduced quantity and are able to melt snow and ice at lower temperatures," said Jim Foldesi, St. Louis County Public Works Director. "It's a trifecta of benefits. In addition, the effective mechanical removal of snow by underbody plows and high-end plow blades before we apply the chemical leaves less snow and ice to melt through chemical action."
St. Louis County Public Works is responsible for maintaining approximately 3,000 miles. To learn more, visit stlouiscountymn.gov/publicworks. To learn more about salt reduction - including what citizens can do, visit wisaltwise.com.
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 Public Works professionals from throughout the region look at one of St. Louis County's newest plow trucks and its customized accessories that provide improved performance and reduced salt use.
 Frank Chamernick, Jr. (left) of St. Louis County Public Works shows a brine applicator built by county staff. A plow blade is also on display.
 Mike Fox, St. Louis County Highway Maintenance Supervisor, demonstrates brine making equipment for staff from the City of Superior.
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