2012-11-27_PWETC_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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Roseville Public Works, Environment and Transportation Commission Agenda Item Date: November 27, 2012 Item No: 5 Item Description: Ice Control Product Discussion Background: The Commission requested a discussion of ice control products that are available for roads and an overview of the city's ice control program. The city's Street Supervisor, Steve Zweber and one of our maintenance personnel, Josh Dix will give a presentation on this topic. We are very proud of our efforts to protect the environment while providing safe driving conditions on city streets. They have provided the following background information for your preview: ➢ Winter Maintenance Objective: Achieve safe winter driving conditions at intersections, hills, curves, and other critical areas. We do not have a bare pavement policy. ➢ Deicing: melt snow and ice after it has accumulated and bonded to the pavement, typically with granular rock salt. ➢ Anti - Icing: attempt to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the road, typically with liquids applied proactively before precipitation begins, resulting in less product required than once a bond has formed. A side benefit to anti -icing is maintaining improved traction on roadways during light snow events. ➢ The vast majority of winter maintenance products are chlorides. Chlorides primary negative environmental effect is water pollution. ➢ There is a selection of non - chloride products available however they are restrictively priced, often nine to twelve times more expensive than chloride products. ➢ Due to this pricing, our goal is to use chlorides in a responsible manner whereas we apply the minimal product necessary to achieve the desired results. ➢ There are four ways for us to achieve that goal: • Use modern and calibrated application equipment. • Continue with employee training and data tracking. • Experiment with alternative products that reduce chloride use or increase chloride effectiveness without significantly increasing price. • Continue to expand and improve our anti -icing program.