About Ry Rivard

Ry covers water for the Explorer. Before coming to New York, he reported on water and energy for Voice of San Diego.
He can be reached at ry@adirondackexplorer.org.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Boreas says

    Massaging the data and hamstringing studies in an effort to minimize NYS liability exposure will eventually come back to haunt all of us.

  2. Joan Grabe says

    So true and so sad. The North Country needs to have a respite from further salt contamination as the residual salt pollution in waterways and wells will be with us for decades if not more. This is no time to take a breather from these laws because of liability concerns. Salt used on state roads have caused this contamination and they have have known about this problem for years and they are liable. Negligent and liable.

  3. Robert Trachy says

    I am so glad I moved out of NYS years ago.
    The salt application is horrendous.
    They say it’s for the public’s safety with is pure BS. Someone profits from it, the salt institute is a powerful lobby group. It harms the environment, destroys cars and makes them unsafe to drive, ruins drinking water and who knows what else. I hope the folks In the Adirondacks keep pressure on the state to reduce the use of road salt.

  4. Charlie S says

    Wait.
    Hold on just a minute.
    This article and these negative comments about the people that rule this state now. It just can’t be true. Pandering to big business. Being non-transparent. Quietly making and amending law. Democrats are for the people, not big business. Democrats are woke.
    Lies, lies, lies. Politicians, they are all the same. They will say, or not say, anything to get your vote. Remember Tedra ” I can’t say that, I’ll never get elected” Cobb ?
    This is an extremely tricky issue. I am positive that you will not find one person, be they Democrat, Republican or Independent, in the Adirondacks, that is okay with salt destroying our cars and more importantly our environment . But our safety on the roads is real and there needs to be balance. Just ask anyone who has had a loved one maimed or killed on icy roads. I wonder how each commenter would have responded if they had tragically lost a child, sibling, parent or best friend on icy roads. And thousands, yes THOUSANDS, if not millions have.
    Think back on this last year. “It’s for your safety”, they said. Yeah , sure. They could care less about your safety and well being. With all of these draconian executive orders creating business losses and high unemployment we have, as they say, ” bitten off our nose to spite our face”. The “rules” just didn’t make common sense. It was all politics.
    Make no mistake, Democrats run and win at the whim of NYC. Do you think NYC could give a rats a$$ about your environment and safety ? It’s all about politics my friends and Cuomo, as he has recently proven, is a master at deflection and blame. But if you voted for him, he thanks you.

  5. Chris says

    “more holistically”

    Gawd…it’s just horrible that we now live in a marketing-first world. Never apologize or try to get to the facts, just say self-serving things that contain no information and can’t be easily nailed down….and keep in power at all costs.

  6. Wm. M. says

    The increased salinization of our lakes, our flora and our fenders all suggest that less salt should be used.
    Then what for winter traction, dirt?
    4WD? Better driver skill?
    I’d prefer the last 3, but recognize that it’s a valid point for discussion.
    So let’s discuss it! Keep the subject alive.
    The answer is probably a combination of judicious pre-treating of roadways, reduced salt especially near lakes, and an acceptance by the driving public that some skill is needed. Cradle to grave timidity seems to be the order of the day, and this also needs to be addressed.

  7. Jess Aksin says

    What about some citizen science here ?
    Those of us who have wells near heavily traveled roads can get our water tested. CNA in Glens Falls will test for salt or for the entire suite of NY DoH water quality indicators . . the full test is about $200 (I did) . . you can test for sodium and for chlorides for much less, chlorides in ground water mobilizes a host of other minerals, that’s why heavy road salt application often leads to very hard ground water. Next let’s do a little anecdotal health data gathering . . . along the main arteries how many people do you know who have had strokes or currently have high blood pressure? (strokes and high blood pressure are associated with high salt intake) Salt in ground water mobilizes high concentrations of manganese. A little manganese is good, allot of manganese can slowly destroy the nervous system . . manganese poisoning looks like Parkinson’s and is irreversible. Send our observations to the Adirondack explorer and see what comes up

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