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Applying too much salt could be hurting your wallet

COTTAGE COUNTRY, ON – Road salt is crucial to keeping the public safe in the winter, but apparently residents and contractors are hurting the environment by using too much.

According to the climate change initiatives coordinator with the District of Muskoka, Kevin Boyle, the overuse of road salt is impacting ecosystems, infrastructure and even peoples’ wallets.

“As salt levels increase in water, they have the ability to impact the microorganisms,” Boyle said.

“Those organisms filter our water and play a role in reducing our algae. If you increase the chloride concentration enough, then you start to see those organisms start to suffer. It can lead to poor water quality and more algae blooms.”

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He added over the past decade an estimated 10,000 tonnes of salt has gone into Lake Muskoka alone.

Water isn’t the only environmental impact according to the coordinator. Boyle said people may notice the low hanging branches on trees close to highways look brown. He said that is actually because they are burnt from road salt and brine spray.

He added the impact on infrastructure is what hits people in the bank account. Boyle cited a study from Dalhousie University which said the use of extra salt around properties leads to $15,000 in cleaning and maintenance every year.

The coordinator said the salt can degrade everything from running shoes, to trees, gardens and even the concrete around certain buildings. He said salt played a role in the collapse of a mall in Elliot Lakeand a bridge in Quebec.

The coordinator couldn’t speak for other districts, but said in Muskoka they are making a big push this year to teach the public to be more aware of the amount they are applying.

“The idea is that we can reduce the amount of salt that we use while maintaining public safety,” Boyle said. “Muskoka has a salt management plan, so it applies as little as it can, but that only accounts for 40 to 50 per cent. A lot of it is applied by you and me on our driveways or contractors in the parking lots of big-box stores.”

Boyle added that once the temperature drops under -10 C, the salt has no effect.

The district has partnered with the Muskoka Watershed Council to hold an educational seminar. The aim is to inform the public and private contractors of the best way to use salt along with other ways to clear ice.

Boyle said all the previous topics will be covered along with where to place piles of snow.

“When it melts you don’t want the water running across walkways,” Boyle said. “We will also cover if you should salt before or after removing ice and snow.”

The seminar will take place in the training room of the Muskoka Paramedics Services building in Bracebridge. It is only an hour-long, running from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

 

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