EnviroTech Journal

Over the next three months, we will be looking at series called the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for Applying Dust Control. The first TCO we’ll look at is costs and benefits of Treating vs. Leaving untreated unpaved roads, next we’ll investigate some of the hidden costs of using water as Dust Suppressant and finally, we’ll finish up the series with equipment maintenance benefits/savings.

Unpaved roads can be an unpleasant nuisance, affecting the quality of life for everyone who travels on gravel roads and those who live or work nearby. It is also a warning sign of costly road damage that can increase maintenance requirements and strain road commission budgets. Just as important, road dust can threaten the driving safety and public health, damage vehicles, and other property, and harm our natural environment. Considering that there are approximately two million miles of unpaved roads in the U.S. and more than 600,000 km in Canada, efforts to control road dust are a concern in both the United States and Canada. The issues with unpaved roads and dust control exist globally also.

The Owl Canyon Corridor in Northern Larimer County is an eleven-mile section of Larimer County Road 70 and 72 that serves as an important connection between US Highway 287 and Interstate 25. The westernmost three miles of the corridor is non-paved consisting of a treated gravel surface.

The topic of how to treat areas with unique or highly sensitive ecological needs has been long standing within dust control markets. The days of using things like waste oil to treat roads are long gone, and the vast majority of vetted products present very little risk to the environments they enter. Still, there are outlying areas that cannot tolerate chlorides at any significant level. Places like the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, which have precious and biologically diverse wetlands to preserve.

And although places like Squaw Creek have a growing number of chloride free products to choose from – the issue is not so easily settled. Why? Because many of these products simply do not perform. Just like calorie free sweeteners or soy based veggie burgers, it can be hard to remove an element or ingredient and still get the punch we want. It is the classic consumer tradeoff that good product developers constantly look to close. durablend-C™ is EnviroTech’s latest step forward in this quest.

For Squaw Creek, however, maintaining its ecology was about more than finding a decent sugar free coffee sweetener. As such, they entered into a rigorous screening process to identify products worthy of including in an on-site study. In short, durablend-C™ passed the test. And not just because it did not have an adverse interaction with the wetlands. It passed because it worked. A single application of durablend-C™ that incorporated ESI’s proprietary Compact & Cap™ program performed as well or better than two applications of the alternative product tested over the same timeline without compromising the ecosystem.

Application of durablend-C™

“Custom Solutions”. “Cutting Edge Technology”. “Consultative Sales Approach”. Ah, the buzzwords of sales and marketing. They adorn conversations with sales people the way neon lights bring ambiance to a pool hall. But what do they mean and do they deliver more than just a shiny light to stare at while having a cold brew?

Similar to how EnviroTech has worked diligently to bring sound science to our dust control and deicing industries (as well as others), we are taking concrete steps to turn the buzzwords of sales and marketing into tangible results. The latest version of this takes the form of a piece of equipment known as a Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test (HWT), which gives ESI a wholly unique testing capability for our dust control and road maintenance customers.

The HWT was developed in Germany and gives ESI the ability to run side by side tests that compare the nuanced balance between product selection, application rate, native soil, expected traffic patterns, and anticipated weather. So, instead of running field tests (which are more expensive and time consuming) to get the optimal mixture of product type and application, ESI can work with you to get the right combination before any field applications occur. Here’s how it worked in a recent test:

Spider mites are a real threat to orchards, vineyards and many other crop fields. An integrated approach to managing mite populations is crucial, and proper dust control is a critical component. However, conventional dust control products, such as those used on industrial sites, are not conducive to plant health. Lignosulfonate, a byproduct of wood-pulp processing, is a popular choice for agricultural dust control, but has limitations, not the least of which are product consistency and erratic availability. EnviroTech Services, Inc. manufactures a dust control product that provides superior, consistent and enduring dust control without exposing fields to the undesirable components of conventional dust control products.

The least expensive dust control solutions, magnesium or calcium chloride treatments, are undesirable in agriculture and other alternative dust control products can poison the living soil necessary for healthy plant life. When evaluating the best options, the field of available products narrows rapidly.

The unchanging drought situation in the Southern half of California has brought back the nightmare of dust-bowl conditions. At a recent presentation by the Association of California Water Agencies, climatologist Michael Anderson described the current situation in dire terms, saying, “You’re looking at numbers on par with what was the Dust Bowl.” California farmers have seen loses of more that $1.5 billion dollars due to lack of water, according to the L.A. Times.

Whether you operate a landfill, mine, or farm, you know that dust control is an ongoing problem that needs a better (and more cost-effective) solution than just water – especially during the drought conditions affecting many parts of the country.

Because of the ongoing, and sometimes severe, drought conditions affecting many areas of the country, farmers are faced with learning new strategies to save water and reduce dependence on fertilizers. In many cases, the technologies they are turning to now have actually been available for many years but weren’t considered cost effective until farmers faced losing their crops to drought.

Nearly one-half of the estimated four million roads in the U.S. are unpaved; the reasons why range from lack of usage to the costs involved. One thing is certain: unpaved roads produce dust and lots of it as you already know. Those charged with dust control on such roads are always looking for efficient and cost-effective solutions. There are a number of products for each unique situation.

When seeking a low-chloride solution for dust control, consider BaseBind®, EnviroTech’s proprietary binder that stabilizes the road surface. Creating a barrier that resists evaporation of water, it rejuvenates itself by absorbing water from beneath. It requires a lot less chlorides because the binder holds moisture – preventing evaporation. BaseBind® is gentler to the soil and a better choice for roads in any sensitive area such as orchards, croplands, forests, protected wetlands and other ecologically sensitive environments.