Since this summer, a cohort of Kenai Peninsula drivers and auto workers have been vocal with their concerns about salt brine, a liquid deicing treatment the Department of Transportation uses on roads. Now, legislators are getting involved, as DOT says it’s unlikely to completely abandon the brine.
During the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly’s latest meeting on Sept. 19, the brine was a prominent topic. Residents are outspoken with worry about the corrosive properties of a sodium chloride brine used on DOT-managed roads in the borough.
Mike Arnold, who started a petition to stop use of the brine back in March, said it has now reached more than 4,000 signatures, and he’s looking for quick action. He showed the assembly images of brake lines and fuel pumps he said were corroded by the brine.
“This is not acceptable, and I’m sorry to say that DOT wants to continue to do this,” he said. “They want to continue the brine.”
Arnold and several other residents and automotive workers reiterated their concerns with the use of brine, and a lack of immediate action on stopping use for Kenai Peninsula roads.
Another person who spoke strongly against the brine was Nikiski Rep. Ben Carpenter, who said the risks don’t outweigh the benefits and criticized bureaucratic hang ups within DOT.
“I would ask you to please seriously consider a resolution in support of delaying the use of the brine, period, until we have a better alternative here,” Carpenter said.
Due to a scheduling misunderstanding, DOT staff weren’t able to present during the regular assembly meeting. However, they did speak during a committee meeting earlier in the day, where they thanked the petition authors and borough for bringing attention to the issue.
But Andy Mills, DOT’s legislative liaison, said there are some misconceptions about the brine among petitioners when it comes to the differences between regular road salt and salt brine.
“Salt is what is used in the brine mixture. They’re one in the same. They’re just different delivery methods,” he said.
To questions from the borough about stopping use of it Mills said the agency doesn’t have specific plans to eliminate the brine entirely, and that there are many considerations. He said the department is open to looking at ways to use the brine selectively, on certain types of roads, but not to stop using it outright.
“Different products are used in different ways and in different places,” he said. “So it’s a simple question that doesn’t have as simple of an answer.”
Mills also addressed many questions about the Mat-Su, where brine is not used on roads. But he said there, the choice not to use brine was not linked to vehicle corrosion concerns, but rather to climate differences.
After the assembly meeting, Rep. Carpenter sent a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the DOT commissioner, requesting the immediate discontinuation of brine use on peninsula roads. The Central Peninsula’s other legislative delegates, Rep. Justin Ruffridge and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, are hosting a town hall this week to talk about DOT-related issues, including the road brine. The town hall is Thursday, Sept. 28 in the borough assembly chambers.
