The Department of Public Works started with more than 30,000 tons of salt this winter, and have only used a couple thousand so far.
Boston has tons of salt ready to use for this weekend's snowstorm.
The city started off with more than 30,000 tons of salt this winter and has only used a couple thousand, even after the Blizzard of 2013. And Boston sanders, plows, trucks and contracted winter workers are only using salt, or a mixture of salt and water.
Business owners in West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain's Centre Street have often heard complaints about snow melt products through the years.
Some residents, like in the South End, are upset and believe that some pets' feet are getting hurt by winter products being used on sidewalks.
"The city uses salt or a mixture of salt and water called brine," said John Guilfoil, spokesperson for the Mayor's Press Office.
Guilfoil said that sidewalks are the legal responsibility of property owners, and that concerned residents should take issues of snow melting products on sidewalks up with property owners.
William Brokhof
8:50 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
I've always been really curious about the impact of all the salt Boston drops, environmentally. What happens to all that salt when it washes off? How does it effect plants and animals? Why don't we use sand?