RE: Blowing Sand & Dust

["Michael R. James" <jamesem@io.com>]

    All,
    
    After reading messages on this topic I thought two more cents 
    won't hurt.
    
    1) Check with the Air Quality Program or Waste Management Program 
    in the state's environmental office where you are located.  These 
    programs should have some good leads on what is allowed and what 
    is not, as well as application methods, for the control of blowing 
    sand or dust.  
    
    2) Remember, anytime you add a waste or a product directly to 
    soils there is a potential for creating "environmental issues" of 
    concern.  Legitimate dust palatives can easily be over-applied or 
    mis-applied.  This can cause contamination of surface or (in some 
    cases) ground water, contaminated runoff into nearby streams, or 
    soil contamination.
    (I imagine liability issues may be important for a privately run 
    park, in this age of law suits, especially if the sand/dust is 
    already causing a complaint.  Can you imagine the complaints if 
    the material you apply to control the problem POTENTIALLY had a 
    more harmful constituent of concern?  Following guidelines 
    obtained in #1 should help keep you on the right side of the law.)
    
    3) In some cases (pending your state environmental regulations) a 
    permit may be required to mix the sand/soils with waste materials.  
    Although coal ash (as one example) may be great for accomplishing 
    this task, it is considered a waste.  Blending (or transporting or 
    storage) coal ash with sand/soil could be a regulated activity.  
    (Coal ash may also have some regulatory exemptions for beneficial 
    use.)  The size of the project may have some bearing on these 
    issues.  
    
    4) Try checking with some local trucking companies or others who 
    may have large dirt lots and truck traffic to find out what they 
    use and what works the best, costs, products that need special 
    application equipment, etc.  Many materials designed for this use 
    require periodic re-applications and may be costly over time.  
    Surfacing the area may become a more cost effective option in the 
    long run.
    
    5) If you haven't checked yet, try to be sure blowing sand/dust is 
    from your property (not from other sources) and IS a problem prior 
    to investing in costly solutions.  I would have expected a row of 
    shrubs to handle much of the problem.  (There are dust issues 
    where I live but complaints would not solve the problem.)  If you 
    are loosing that much sand to wind erosion maybe its time to 
    consider the use of some shale or small stone.
    
    Ric
    illig.richard@a1.dep.state.pa.us