Tips for environmentally safe de-icing as winter weather approaches

By Sarah Jacobs
December 12, 2022 | 10:57 AM

By mid-week, the D.C. area could see a little snow or ice from a big weather system out West.

The main concern will be a brief period of sleet or freezing rain, which could cause some icy spots on the road Thursday.

More Local News
WTOP Weather

That means it may be time to start thinking about de-icing responsibly.

Sodium chloride, also known as rock salt, will melt ice quickly, but, eventually, the salt washes into waterways where it can harm plants, soil and wildlife.

So what can you do to be environmentally responsible when it comes to using salt to de-ice this winter?

Shovel first and then use salt.
If the sun is coming out, let it do some of the work first.
Use rock salt sparingly. Just 12 ounces of rock salt can treat a 20-foot driveway.
Use traction materials instead, such as bird seed.

National Museum of the American Latino to be housed in historic Smithsonian building

By Neal Augenstein
September 1, 2026 | 10:36 AM

The Smithsonian Institution has decided to put the National Museum of the American Latino into an existing, historic building, rather than constructing a new one. The Smithsonian Board of Regents on Monday designated the Arts and Industries Building, a 145-year-old redbrick Victorian structure located between the Smithsonian Castle and the Hirshhorn Museum, as the permanent site of the National Museum of the American Latino, which Congress authorized in 2020. In 2022, the Smithsonian narrowed its survey for permanent locations for the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum to four locations near the National Mall on land owned by the National Park Service. The Arts and Industries Building, located at 900 Jefferson St. SW, was one of the four sites. New construction on National Park Service land would require congressional approval. However, since the Smithsonian already owns the Arts and Industries Building, the institution can place the National Museum of the American Latino in the existing building without additional legislation.

Related Stories