GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Road Salt problem

[email protected] · 18-02-2009, 12:06 PM posted to rec.gardens

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:02:14 -0500, wrote:

The saga does have a happy ending after all. Here's the deal.

My first call was to the local HOA organization, asking them for advice.
As expected they said "send an email" and we'll forward to the 'appropriate
departments". I sent one, but didn't expect any response, as this is a
"send it' we'll send it along to someone else, and eventually it will wind up
in the round basket.. but we've done our job.

So, I searched a little on the internet... road salt is toxic.... found out the
DPW Bureau of Highways is the county agency who salts the roads. Visited
their site... found a link to "Claim Management Dept". So called for additional
information

They were exceedingly courteous in taking the information and promised a
supervisor would call."

At 7:00 am the following morning, a road crew was busy cleaning up the
salt we had scraped off over the weekend.

Two hours later a supervisor was onsite, surveying the damage. He called in
a workcrew who removed the remaining salt, shoveled up the top layer of
contaminated dirt and replaced it with fresh soil.

Part of the problem... this is a cul-de-sac with the circle in the center. A neighbor
parks his spare car on the curb 24/7 for months at a time. To avoid this car, the
salt truck was forced to move closer to the circle, and because the salt is sprayed
from the left side of the truck, it covered the circle, while leaving the street
untouched.

So it had a good ending... the county responded, the plants were saved
and damage removed.

Followed up with an 'atta boy' to the division chief, praising the
efficiency of his department personnel.

End of story.....

I'd like to get a few thoughts and suggestions on a situation....

I live in a planned community... many of the side streets end
in cul-de-sacs.

We have a circle in the center of our cul-de-sac... the circle is
about 30' diameter surrounded by about 8 houses... I believe
the circle is maintained by the county, however they do not
beautify the circle and just let it sit to be overrun with garbage
and weeds. So the neighborhood got together and landscaped
the circle, providing shrubs, flowers, mulch, and lots of back
breaking labor... resulting in a nicely landscaped location..

So I walked out to the circle a few days ago, and found it
literally covered in road salt. There was a ice covering a few
days back, which is why I'm assuming the salt trucks came...
however they literally covered the circle in road salt. Very
suspicious were two recently planted shtrubs that had mounds
of road salt around them, (like you would put mulch). However
none of the houses around the cul-de-sac had even a tiny particle
of salt by the curb, driveways or front lawns... and they are only
20 feet away from the circle.

Anyway, the shrubs are all dying... hundreds of dollars of plant
material and many dozens of hours gone.

My question.... I'm at a loss as to how to start..... where to complain,
who should be responsible for repairing the damage... or can the damage
even be repaired as the salt has already started saturating the ground.

I suspect this has been on-going for years as many plants have never
bloomed or have died after planting, including marigolds, daffodils, hostas,
sedum, germaniums and chrysanthemums.... all of whom thrive successful
in the surrounding landscapes but not in the circle.. It just never was so
obvious before now with a thick coating of salt on the ground and mounds
of salt piled around the shrubs, most are at least 4 feet from the street curb.

Is the dept of highways deliberating doing this to kill plant growth on their
weed patches which used to be thickly covered with thistles and dandelions
during the summer, until the community decided enough was enough and
landscaped the eyesore.

Is it some idiot worker who decides that salting a street after a light snow is so
important that it justifies destroying landscapes, trees and shrubs. (we have
plenty of idiots here if anyone needs a couple).

This is zone7 Maryland, between Washington and Baltimore

Your suggestions are appreciated .... many thanks in advance...

Peter