Truckers Want Connecticut to Change De-Icing Chemical

A group representing trucking companies is asking Connecticut lawmakers to ban an ice-melting chemical the state uses on its roads, saying it’s too corrosive.

The Motor Transport Association of Connecticut says legislators should make de-icers like magnesium chloride illegal. Association President Michael Riley told the Republican-American of Waterbury that the chemical is corroding trucks at an unprecedented rate and officials should be worried about it affecting bridge metal.

Truckers have been questioning the state’s use of a salt and magnesium chloride mixture over the past few years. The state used to use a salt and dirt mix to clear snow and ice off the roads.

State DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick says the mix works well and it’s up to motorists to wash their cars to avoid corrosion.