PA Environment Digest Blog: Penn State Extension Water Cooler Talk Webinar Feb. 18

The Penn State Extension will host another in its series of Water Cooler Talk webinars February 19 on Road Salt Impacts And Solutions from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

The widespread use of deicing agents, including road salts, has had a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems and drinking water resources.

This presentation explores how road salt enters waterways, the factors that contribute to overapplication, and the scale of the issue using water quality data collected in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Participants will also examine behavioral drivers of road salt use at the household level and learn practical, research-informed strategies to reduce impacts, with tangible solutions for both municipalities and individual households.

Who is this for?

-- Anyone interested in water resources

-- Municipal officials

-- Homeowners

-- Watershed managers

What will you learn?

-- Hear about current work in the water resource field

-- Ask questions about road salt and deicing agents and their impact on water quality

-- Share ideas with professionals across Pennsylvania

-- Learn about solutions to reduce the impact of deicing salts on water quality

Click Here to register and for more information.

Visit the Penn State Extension website to learn more about many other educational opportunities.

Resource Links:

-- Scientists And Lawmakers Kick Oﬀ Winter Salt Week March 25 At PA State Capitol To Tackle Road Salt Pollution [PaEN]

-- In oil and gas areas of Pennsylvania, illegal road dumping of conventional oil and gas wastewater year round literally adds tons of sodium chloride to roads every year to the point that deer lick paved roads during the summer to get the salt.

-- House Hearing: On Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater - ‘We Studied This For Nearly 30 Years And The Conclusions Are The Same - The Wastewater Contains Harmful Contaminants’ [6.10.24]

-- Late Night Road Dumping: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Be Dumped On Dirt, Gravel, Paved Roads; DEP Expected To Provide Update At April 24 Meeting [4.9.25]

-- Late Night Dumping II: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumping Continues On Roads, This Time With Bigger Trucks; New Research On Harmful Wastewater Impacts [5.22.25]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Congress Cut Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funding To PA By $169 Million Canceling Critical Water Quality Restoration Projects [PaEN]

-- DEP Invests $17.3 Million In 89 Local Growing Greener Projects In 40 Counties To Restore Streams, Reclaim Abandoned Mine Land, Improve Fish, Wildlife Habitats [PaEN]

-- PA infrastructure Investment Authority Invests Record $559.4 Million In 36 Water Infrastructure Projects In 25 Counties [PaEN]

-- Commonwealth Financing Authority Invests $110 Million In 445 Small Water, Sewer, Stormwater, Flood Control Projects; Multimodal Transportation Funding Also Approved [PaEN]

-- PennVEST Now Accepting Proposals For Nutrient, Sediment Reduction Projects For Funding Thru Clean Water Procurement Program [PaEN]

-- National Fish And Wildlife Foundation Now Accepting Applications For Chesapeake Watershed Defense WILD Grants [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 16 Funding Conservation Webinar On US Natural Resources Conservation Service [PaEN]

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Accepting Applications For Innovation Grants Feb. 2 to April 18