Umeå universitets logga

Snow handling practices are managed by Swedish municipalities, and urban snow is usually removed to be placed at a central or local snow deposit. Snow deriving from urban areas can contain environmental pollutants in various extents. Through atmospheric deposition, traffic emissions and road maintenance strategies, urban snow accumulates pollutants such as metals, organic and inorganic compounds, which in turn spread to receiving waters and soil through the meltwater. During wintertime, snow is ploughed and removed from highways and roads to insure safe conditions for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. This study has analyzed Swedish municipalities snow handling strategies regarding current environmental law and degree of environmental protection on land-based snow deposit sites. Through a semi-qualitative web survey sent to all 290 Swedish municipalities, respondents were asked questions regarding the organization’s snow handling strategies and environmentally protective actions within their snow deposits. The results of this study showed that the use of snow deposits varies in different regions, and that most snow deposits are not equipped with any technical infrastructure to mitigate eventual environmental effects on the local environment. Environmental management in the form of systematic sampling of snow, soil, groundwater and receiving waters are found to be rare, which sequentially makes it difficult for municipalities to investigate the possible local environmental effects caused by depositing snow. In conclusion, environmental investigation and protection at snow deposit sites can be crucial to hinder further local pollution in some areas, but is as of yet not constantly executed by current practices.