They obviously are changing the environment. You'd need a proper environmental impact statement to determine what the negative aspects of these changes are. I wonder if one was done?
By that definition, when my kid goes to the beach and digs a hole in the sand and fills it with water they are "changing the environment". Do we need a proper environmental impact statement to determine the negative aspects of these changes?
Come on. They are literally moving salt a few meters.
No, they are fundamentally changing the salts state and manner of interaction with the environment.
What do giant piles of salt do aside from melt and "burn" whatever they touch? That's right, they Spread.
You realize these piles of salt are right next to natural piles of salt?
Ain’t changing anything in the environment.