In spite of the apparent cost savings, the damage that sodium chloride and calcium chloride inflict on vehicles, bridges, and the natural environment quickly makes the costs of anti-icers seem very reasonable. Anti-icers and deicers have been extensively studied and tested in the United States and Canada as part of an effort to improve highway safety. These products have made a substantial improvement in winter driving conditions since their use enables roadway maintenance managers to provide bare pavement conditions more often. In the last few years Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and British Columbia have worked together to develop stringent new standards for these chemicals that protect the environment and significantly reduce corrosion. Not only do these standards help minimize adverse affects on water quality and the health of roadside vegetation, they also have become an integral component of a winter maintenance strategy that maintains safety on the roadway and recovery of several stocks of Pacific Salmon in the western United States.
Air quality is another part of the story.
Airborne dust is a health risk and there are limits to the amount of dust allowed in the air we breath. Some communities don't meet Federal Clean Air Act standards. It also can be effective to help melt or assist in preventing black ice and freezing rain. Keeping sand on the road is nearly impossible in some circumstances, especially in very cold weather and in cases where there is traffic at highway speeds. Anti-icer may help keep the sand from blowing to the shoulder of the road.