Syracuse’s notoriously snowy winters are in full swing — as of Sunday afternoon, the city has accumulated 78.9 inches of snow this season. To tackle the snow, Syracuse University’s Physical Plant is out working to salt and clear campus roads.

Some cities are looking for other alternatives to melt the ice by using sand and ash, said Jason Perry, a supervisor for the grounds department. Salt can be destructive to the environment and also corrode infrastructure, but SU still uses salt.

Perry added that the Physical Plant is unable to use sand as an alternative to salt because the sand clogs the storm drains. Perry said there are pros and cons to using salt to counteract the winter weather.

“The pros of using salt are that it is very effective melting snow and ice on our paved surfaces,” he said. “The cons are it is corrosive to metals and paved surfaces on campus.”

When the salt splashes off the road, it can erode the soil and damage nearby plant beds. It can also increase salinity in surrounding lakes, disrupt aquatic life and corrode infrastructure.

Salt dehydrates plants, can kill small aquatic organisms and reduces water circulation in lakes that helps to aerate the water, according to Discovery.com.

The website stated that not only is it possibly not good for the environment, it only works in certain conditions. Regular road salt is only effective from near freezing to about 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Salt lowers the freezing point by dissolving into the water and helps snow and ice melt faster, according to Environment Canada, the lead federal department on environmental policies in Canada.

Despite its environmental concerns, Perry said salt is the most efficient method for the Physical Plant to use to melt the snow.

Mike Friedman, a senior advertising major and advertising representative at the Daily Orange, said the Physical Plant does a good job keeping the sidewalks and roads hazard-free for students.

“I definitely feel safe walking to class and around campus,” he said.

With the SU campus covering approximately 683 acres, including 10 miles of driveways and 20 miles of walkways, the Physical Plant requires several tons of salt to make roads and sidewalks safe. On average, Perry said SU uses 3,000 tons of salt per year.

He said work begins as early as 2 a.m. and continues until the SU campus is cleared and safe for travel.

Ezra Carter, a senior in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, said Physical Plant ensures that it is safe to walk in some parts of campus, but not everywhere.

“In general, they do a decent job,” he said. “Places like the Hall of Languages can be unsafe at times but I would say they do an alright job, not great.”

Published on February 10, 2014 at 1:13 am

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306