Project Description:
Montgomery County’s current road salt reduction efforts are limited to voluntary training courses and a voluntary road salt drop off station in Gaithersburg, MD. We worked with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection to create a road salt reduction program with a financial incentive for contractors. Data was collected from local contractors, nationwide environmental programs, and Maryland counties’ existing salt management plans (Montgomery, Baltimore). Recommendations were ranked using a decision matrix with 10 criteria, the top three being financial cost to county, expected participation by private businesses, and collateral environmental impact. Our top recommendation is to invest more into comprehensive salt use training courses, through offering stipends for attendance and expanding the scope of material. From this recommendation a financial plan and a marketing (salt applicator outreach) plan was developed.
