Right again icemelters- use the least amount possible to accomplish the most and you'll be doing the best you can for the environment. Its not the fact that most liquid manufactures claim their products are "friendlier" on the environment that helps in the long run. Its the fact that when you use a good one to treat your brs you will use tons upon tons of less brs which is where most of the chloride overuse/pollution is coming from. Example- contractor a puts down 10 tons of brs. contractor b, to do the same area with same given conditions, uses 4 tons of treated brs(with each ton containing 6-12 gallons of an obpe, lets say 25 gallons total or 250 pounds) the gallons of obpe are almost non measurable when compared to the 6 tons, 12,000 pounds, of brs contractor b was able to avoid using.
Most guys use de-icers to anti ice. Anti icers to de-ice and get all frustrated. And there is much confusion as to the "right way" to use each tool in the tool box that you have available.
Using a granular de-icer, brs/treated brs/ salt brine/etc prior to a large snow storm only dilutes the product as it melts the first snow that falls. Then, with cold ground temps, you have just created your own ice under the accumulating snow. The state of NJ does it all the time with straight cacl "pre-treatments". In the event of a 1-2 inch storm with higher temps that is the way to go on roads, burn it all off with the help of traffic. However in an accumulating event, lets say over 2-3 inches with ground temps in the twenties or lower, one should try to use an anti-icer. If they cant they are better off doing nothing, plowing and then de-icing. An anti-icer will melt snow less aggressively, create a barrier between the pavement and snow so that hard pack can not bond with pavement. Then you are able to plow it off easily and when you de-ice some of the anti icer that remains will aid in activating the de-icer faster. There are not many anti icers on the market, Magic ice be gone (or whatever they call it now), IB2575, IB793, Thermapoint, some beet juice products are examples of an anti icer. The goal in an anti icer being to have a higher amount of obpe liquids rather than just straight salts(de-icers). Oil on your frying pan. If im de-icing and I want to melt as much snow and ice as possible without using a lot of material I always use IB4060 treated rock salt. My point before was why try to de-ice with a brine solution?(such as brs added to water). You have water on the ground, just use the granular brs and avoid trucking around more water? Unless you are trying to make a dusting disappear with no traffic or you are in a region where temps do not fall much below freezing, I dont see the point of any using any straight salt brines.