Less salt on roads during bad winter weather is best way to go in Mississauga: city | INsauga

Mississauga will soon be put on a low-salt diet — the roads, that is — as the city looks at more environmentally friendly ways to keep roads safe during messy winter weather.

The city made the move several years ago to use less road salt and more brine (liquid mix of water and salt), with officials at the time saying “we understand the importance of the environment in today’s climate and into the future, which is why we continue to look at our salt management practices and equipment to control how much salt we use.” 

Still, there’s more to be done, insists Ward 1 Coun. Stephen Dasko, who on Wednesday tabled a motion at city council to further reduce “the use of road salt on city roadways, while maintaining road safety.”

The motion, which passed, will now see City of Mississauga staff “review best practices and emerging technologies” in an effort to further reduce the reliance by road maintenance crews on salt to treat roads during winter storms.

Measures to be considered include:

• Optimizing and expanding brine application.
• Enhancing telematics and other monitoring tools for “targeted and optimized salt use.”
• Exploring “innovative approaches and technologies” for winter road maintenance.
• Considering the long-term environmental and financial benefits of reduced salt use.

In his motion, Dasko pointed to several motivating factors to have the city further reduce its use of road salt during nasty winter weather. They include:

• The city is committed to protecting the natural environment, including local waterways, soil and wildlife habitats.
• Excessive use of road salt contributes to long-term environmental damage, including salinization of lakes and streams, contamination of groundwater and drinking water, and harm to aquatic ecosystems, vegetation, pets and wildlife.
• Road salt is corrosive to municipal infrastructure, vehicles and private property, creating significant long-term repair and replacement costs.
• Climate change has led to more frequent freeze-thaw cycles and heavier snowfall events, resulting in greater reliance on road salt for winter maintenance and further compounding these environmental and financial impacts.
• Other municipalities in Ontario and beyond continue to explore and implement innovative practices to reduce the reliance on road salt while balancing safety, cost and environmental considerations.