Headlines & features

Today's NY Times (free subscription) carries an opinion column by science editor John Tierney, "Salt Wars," recounting the full-scale combat among medical scientists over the question of whether reducing dietary salt is possible to achieve or, if achieved, would improve public health. Tierney quotes anti-salt leader Dr. Larry Appel conceding the data are "murky" and there is no evidence of any increase (or decrease) in salt consumption in recent decades.

While some businesses benefit from winter storm closures (e.g. liquor stores and airport shops), most commerce is heavily and adversely impacted when snowfighting fails according to a story in the investment newsletter Money Morning .

Since the Maine Department of Transportation began using pre-storm anti-icing "the number of fatalities on the roads the Maine DOT maintains during ice, snow and slush conditions has declined," the Bangor (ME) Daily News reported today. But "fatalities and serious crashes in winter conditions have not declined on roads not maintained by the DOT," the article continued, citing a new study from the University of Maine .

Massive snowfall and use of road salt to preserve safe winter roads go together, so the dilution factor in runoff as the deep snows in Northern Virginia begin to melt means that chloride levels will remain below levels of environmental concern, concludes a report in the NV Daily .

Elizabeth Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health, has a blistering op ed in the Washington Times which accuses NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg of a "purely diversionary" attack on salt and warns: "the best way to lose a debate is to be caught exaggerating your case." She equates the "salt assault" to the broader debate on government involvement in health care.

Lori Roman was interviewed by Russian TV in regards to the dangers of salt prohibition. Check out the entire post on youtube.com

As residents and business owners tire of clearing snow and ice from sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, they are probably not thinking about lawsuits, fines and jail time. But maybe they should. The public's demand for winter safety and mobility isn't confined to roadways alone; it also includes pedestrian safety and mobility.

A few years ago, the Salt Institute conducted an informal survey of county and municipal agencies regarding their practices of sidewalk snow clearing. Eighty-three percent of the agencies have written policies directing property owners to remove accumulated snow and ice "within 24 hours of the end of the snowstorm." Penalties for property owners not complying can range from nominal tickets, to misdemeanors punishable up to 90 days in jail, to fines up to $500. Read more at CFTV.com 9

In the Washington Examiner , we read: “Prohibition” conjures up images of bootleggers and speakeasies, made famous between 1920 and 1933 when selling, manufacturing, and transporting alcohol were prohibited.

With record-setting snows this winter (and the previous two), the Associated Press asks: "So, which city is best at cleaning up after the Big One?" Citing Buffalo, NY's massive snowfalls and Chicago's "legendary" snowfighting operation, the AP reporting team concludes that local conditions require local professional response: in a word "snowphistication." Good point.

Voicing the common complaint of failed snowfighting in the DC area, Washington Post columnist offers analysis and a prescription: invest more in snowfighting performance and make politicians accountable to deliver better service. The payback, he says, is an order of magnitude greater than the investment. He elaborates: