L’ANSE – The Michigan Department of Transportation L’Anse Garage recently won the Salt Institute’s 2013 Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting Award. The honor is given for excellence in environmental consciousness and effective management in the storage of winter road salt.

“Snowfighting is an underappreciated profession,” said John Dault, transportation maintenance supervisor at the L’Anse Garage. “But we’re proud that the L’Anse Garage crew has been recognized. These are highly skilled and trained transportation maintenance workers. Their work protects lives and enables our winter economy.”

The annual award goes to facilities and crews demonstrating best practices in salt storage and snowfighting while ensuring “uncompromised winter safety, mobility and protection of the environment,” according to the institute. This year, the L’Anse Garage was the only Michigan facility of the 90 U.S. and Canadian facilities to earn the award.

The award evaluates facilities on level of service, material usage, equipment selection and operations, performance and continuous improvement, strategic annual operations, storage, safety, environmental and other criteria.

“This is a great achievement,” Lori Roman, president of the Salt Institute, said. “The MDOT L’Anse Garage’s efforts to protect lives and commerce make an enormous difference in the local area and encourage others to improve their efforts nationwide.”

The Salt Institute is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to advocating the benefits of salt, particularly to ensure winter roadway safety, quality water and healthy nutrition.