National Scan of Best Practices for Road Dust Control and Soil Stabilization

The purpose of the National Scan is to examine programs and practices employed by different governmental agencies and contractors that result in effective dust control and/or soil stabilization on unpaved roads. The driving force behind this scan is that road dust and/or the additives used in its control pose a myriad of health, safety, economic, regulatory, and environmental challenges.

The need for advancing road dust control and soil stabilization technologies was highlighted at the inaugural Road Dust Management Practice and Future Needs Conference in San Antonio, TX in 2008. Practitioners, scientists, and vendors convened for the first time to discuss the issues and formulate a collective road map for the future. One main theme was the need to form an association specifically to address road dust management. Currently, no formal entity exists and opportunities for widespread communication and exchange are few. The direct observation of successful dust control and stabilization practices will be foundational to improving unpaved road networks across the country. The scan tour will sustain the momentum generated by the conference and maintain the heightened awareness of the need to address this complex and widespread issue.