Maryland Upholds Smart, Green & Growing Initiative with Ice B’Gone(R) Natural Road De-Icer

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Feb. 4 – The state of Maryland recently upheld their commitment to green procurement with the purchase of Ice B’Gone®, an all-natural road de-icing product. The state asked for bids for the treated salt category and chose Ice B’Gone because it met Maryland’s environmental guidelines under it’s new Smart, Green & Growing initiative. The initiative brings together state agencies, local governments, businesses and citizens to uphold a number of environmental guidelines, including investment in green technologies and restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The state is one of the first to set environmental procurement standards and to uphold those standards by choosing a green road de-icer.
The makers of Ice B’Gone, Sears Ecological Applications Company (SEACO), located in Rome, NY, began research in 1997 that eventually developed into the patented Ice B’Gone product in 2001. For the past decade, the company has been hopeful the green technology would become mainstream, especially with its ability to also reduce overall costs, improve road safety and impede corrosion. “There is literally no downside to this product. It is much more effective at clearing roads while being less harmful to the environment than untreated chloride salt,” says David Wood, President of SEACO. “We’re excited to see Maryland take progressive steps to becoming an environmentally friendly state in all aspects of procurement — but especially with road de-icing products,” continues Wood.
Ice B’Gone is the only road de-icer in the country to receive the coveted EPA “Design for the Environment” designation, which indicates the product has undergone rigorous testing and has been proven to reduce risk to the environment and overall environmental impact. The patented product is all natural and formed from low molecular-weight carbohydrates — also known as sugars — and was discovered to work much longer and at significantly lower temperatures than untreated rock salt. Because it works longer and at lower temperatures, Ice B’Gone can drastically reduce the amount of chloride salt used over the course of a winter. With less salt applied to roads, less salt finds its way into watersheds and runoff, thereby reducing the impact road de-icing can have on local water sources. Ice B’Gone also has proven a 70% reduction in corrosion to bridges, roadway surfaces, equipment and vehicles, saving governments additional costs in maintaining the roadway and maintenance equipment.
SEACO’s patented technology has been adopted around the country, particularly in the Northeast, with successful results, but Maryland is one of the first states to purchase the natural de-icer in a statewide bid for green road de-icers. For more information about SEACO and Ice B’Gone, please call 888-847-3226 or visit www.seaco.com.
Sears Ecological Applications Company (SEACO), located in Rome, NY, manufactures, processes and refines an organic, environmentally friendly, agriculture-based product designed for use as a liquid road de-icer. For additional information, please call 888-847-3226 or visit www.seaco.com.