How much salt are we talking? A large portion of the country coats all paved surfaces with it during and after every snow/freezing rain. Shut down the salt mines if need be.
I agree your perspective, but the salt could be cheaply tested at various stages for whatever contaminants you’re afraid of. How much testing do you think is done on the lettuce you eat? Or the beef you buy? Or the flame retardants in your carpet, clothing, flooring, and furniture? What about the bpa alternatives in all good grade plastics? What about Teflon’s and other forever chemicals? The answer is only as little as everyone can get away with because the people with authority don’t have the means to deal with their actual workload or the fallout of shutting down massive companies indefinitely. Ignorance ain’t bliss, but it may be better than knowing I’m powerless against the greedy fascists mortgaging the survivability of earth for yachts, drugs, and vanity today.
