Why do people use de-icing salt or rock salt?
Rock salt is the most effective and economical material available for melting road snow and ice. The timely application of rock salt has been proven to pay for itself many times over in both increased public safety and actual economic savings. A recent Standard and Poor’s DRI study of 12 northeastern states, including New York, found that $526.5 million a day in federal, state, and local tax revenues would be lost if impassable roadways paralyzed the region. This figure greatly exceeds the $518.7 million typically spent on snow and ice removal by the 12 northeastern states for the entire winter season. The report further states that lost taxes are not the biggest impact. A crippling snowstorm costs $1.4 billion per day in unearned wages and $600 million per day in lost retail sales.
