Six months after successfully treating one of Arizona’s biggest dust mitigation problems in recent years, Soilworks, the worldwide leader in dust control and soil stabilization, says the environmentally safe Gorilla-Snot has successfully withstood months of harsh weather conditions along I-10 in San Simon, Ariz.
In May 2016, parts of a 60-mile section of I-10 near San Simon were repeatedly shut down because of dangerous traffic stopping dust storms from farmland adjacent to the highway. The dust storms caused numerous accidents and were deemed a major safety hazard by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
To solve the problem, ADEQ turned to Soilworks, purchasing its environmentally safe Gorilla-Snot to spray the 320 acres of farmland with dust suppressant. Soilworks guaranteed the dust control product would successfully hold for six months after application.
Gorilla-Snot stood up to the extreme monsoon and wind conditions. San Simon traditionally experiences high rain fall over the months of July and August and this year was no exception. According to theWeatherChannel.com, San Simon had an average rainfall of approximately two inches each month, significant since most dust control products are water soluble.
“One of the hallmarks of our products is the ability to withstand tough weather conditions that other products just can’t match,” said Chad Falkenberg, the founder of Soilworks, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. “The success of the San Simon project is further proof of just how durable and weather resistant our products prove to be for our clients.”
Prior to using Gorilla-Snot, ADEQ was spraying untreated water on the land, spending upwards of $30,000 per day to quell the dust during daylight hours.
Ultimately, the application of water did not succeed, due to the high evaporation rate experienced in the desert heat, requiring constant re-application.
“By contrast, Gorilla-Snot is a synthetically produced co-polymer that forms a three-dimensional cap that suppresses the soil particulates and keeps dust from creating dust storms,” Falkenberg said. “Gorilla-Snot is water insoluble and doesn’t evaporate in the heat or dissolve in the rain. Those characteristics are now keeping Arizona drivers safe when they travel through San Simon.”
