EDITOR’S NOTE: Area township officials’ continued hand-wringing and debate over dust control on rural gravel roads isn’t really anything new, as proven by this editorial, written 25 years ago by Penasee Globe Editor Nila Aamoth. The editor examined the problem and proposed an interesting solution:
by Nila Aamoth
Now that winter has finally lo
osed its relentless grip, it’s time to turn our thoughts to the less weighty subjects of summer.
Like dust control.
For those city-bred folks among you who are new to the joys of rural living, let us explain what dust control is. Since there are miles and miles of unpaved roads out here in the sticks, it stands to reason that there are also miles and miles of dusty rooster-tails billowing onto nearby yards and into nearby houses whenever a car travels the gravels. Because the dust is so pesky, townships have taken to spending thousands of dollars to put a damper on the situation.
And herein lies the rub. Most dust control techniques work best when it rains! Now, if it seems peculiar to you that rain (all by itself) isn’t sufficient to settle the dust, be of good cheer; it gets curiouser and curiouser.
The two most common dust control methods are to sprinkle the roads with salt brine, or to coat them with asphalt emulsion. Both compounds are frowned on by environmentalists. The salt brine, which is a byproduct of oil well operation, can leach into the soil and contaminate plants along the road. If you have posies reposing at the curb, the salt will probably make them pucker. Asphalt emulsion is a petrochemical product (oil). Using it for dust control is somewhat akin to dumping used crankcase oil on the road — a practice which is also frowned on.
Another dust control method is to sprinkle sodium chloride crystals on the road. They are activated by moisture. Chalk up to sodium chloride most of the same problems of salt brine.
So, in a nutshell, most dust control techniques are not exactly environmentally sound. That’s bad enough, but add to that their ineffectiveness, and you have a bad excuse to spend good money.
Applications of dust control chemicals are usually made once or twice each “season” (approximately May through September). The frequency depends on how much money a township has dedicated for the ritual. Though they shoot for pre-Memorial Day spreading, some roads are not treated until well into June. Meanwhile, the dust rolls on.
It’s a 50-50 chance that your road will be treated during or just prior to a downpour. That means the treatment will have short-lived effectiveness, at best. Meanwhile, the dust rolls on.
If we get a scorching hot summer with little moisture, the dust control becomes less effective (if it worked at all). Meanwhile, the dust rolls on.
And meanwhile, the dollars roll on, too.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to stop dumping chemicals and dollars down the drain? What would happen if no dust control applications were made, and the money was instead socked away in a future paving fund?
Township officials say they will be deluged with complaints. So, what’s new? Ask them how many complaints they get now about dust control, and they’ll tell you it is a summer-long wailing. Let them wail, we say, and save those dusty dollars for another day.
