Pennsylvania roads are being coated in radioactive wastewater − here’s why

Brine, a mixture of salt and water, is sprayed onto roads to prevent snow and ice from sticking or freezing to the pavement. Portland Press Herald Collection via Getty Images Pennsylvania’s roughly 100,000 oil and gas wells produce wastewater that’s many times saltier than seawater and contains radium, a known carcinogen. For decades, that saltwater, called brine, was spread on dirt and gravel roads across the state to control dust and also on paved roads to melt ice. The state Department of…