The Town uses Ice Buster is a granular rock salt product pre-wetted with Apex Meltdown to reduce corrosion while increasing de-icing performance on all the Town’s roadways. Ice Buster is a complex chloride containing primarily Sodium Chloride (NaCI), Magnesium Chloride (MgCI-2), and Calcium Chloride (CaCI-2). Ice Buster works down to 15 degrees; once below that temperature it becomes difficult to melt snow and ice. Ice Buster accelerates ice melt by absorbing 50% more of the sun’s radiant energy than white de-icing products. This salt comes from a salt mine in Kansas and is grey in color. The color grey signals to motorists that roads have been treated. This product requires fewer applications resulting in reduced amounts of chloride introduced into the environment. Studies indicate that applying de-icing materials reduces accidents by 88% and pays for itself in a half hour in terms of avoiding vehicle crashes. The Town does not use sand. Ice Buster delivers enhanced traction and eliminating the need for sand. By doing this, reduces sediment along roadways, in storm drainages, and in rivers. Sand can have detrimental effects to air quality and sweeping cost for the cleanup.
Apex Meltdown is a corrosion inhibitor, derived from organic polymers and blended with a 30 percent Magnesium Chloride solution. Apex Meltdown (Magnesium Chloride solution) works down to -10 F degrees; The Town uses Prewetting Salt Operations, which is a process of coating, or treating, Ice Buster (granular rock salt) with a liquid Apex Meltdown (Magnesium Chloride solution) as it comes out of the V-box spreader. Generally done in the range of 5 to 10 gallons of liquid per ton of material. Pre-wetted Ice Buster (granular rock salt) will stick to the pavement and reduces bounce and scatter, while increasing the de-icing performance at which the salt begins the melting process. The Town is NOT using liquid anti-icing operations. Crews are trained on sensible salting techniques, and all snow plow trucks are calibrated to spread only the amount of de-icing salt required to de-ice the roadways.