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Montreal’s Snow Wars: When the City Fights Winter - The McGill Daily

Lisa Banti

Montreal winters are not for the faint-hearted. With an average of 210 cm of snow falling every year, this city doesn’t just experience winter — it goes to battle with it. Clearing snow from every street, sidewalk, and alley is an operation of epic proportions. And with nearly $200 million spent annually in construction and plowing costs to keep the city moving, it’s not just a massive financial burden; Montreal spends more than anywhere else in Canada by far, nearly double what Toronto spends.

For Montrealers, snow removal is part of the rhythm of winter life. It’s the steady hum of plows at 3:00 a.m., the towering piles of snow at street corners, and the icy sidewalks that still somehow evade city crews. But behind the scenes of this carefully choreographed chaos lies a city grappling with mounting costs, environmental fallout, and an unpredictable future shaped by climate change.

Every winter storm triggers a city-wide operation, mobilizing thousands of workers and an army of machinery. Over 10,000 kilometers of streets and sidewalks must be cleared. But this isn’t just about shovels and salt — it’s about logistics on a grand scale. Trucks cart snow to dumping sites where it’s piled into mountains taller than most buildings, and the effort requires constant coordination to avoid bottlenecks and delays.

What’s the cost of this snowy dance? It’s not just the hefty annual price tag. Road salt, a staple of snow and ice management, seeps into the soil and waterways, disrupting ecosystems and contaminating local vegetation. Then there’s the waste left behind — oil, metals, and plastic particles trapped in the snow that ends up dumped into the environment.

But the biggest threat to Montreal’s snow strategy isn’t the snow itself — it’s how the snow is changing. Climate change is rewriting the rules of winter. While total snowfall might decrease in the long run, the snow we do get is arriving in shorter, fiercer bursts. And it’s no longer just snow: freeze-thaw cycles are creating ice sheets that are tougher to clear and even harder to manage.

The city has started testing new ways to handle the pressure. Electric snow plows are rolling through neighborhoods as part of a pilot program to cut emissions. Scientists are experimenting with eco-friendly alternatives to salt. Advanced weather modeling systems are being used to predict storms more accurately, saving time and resources. These steps are promising, but they’re also just that — steps. The question remains: how effective are these methods compared to what is currently used? Can they scale up to meet the demands of Montreal’s massive snow removal operations or are they destined to remain small-scale solutions? How will they reshape the city’s ability to handle increasingly unpredictable winters?

For McGill students, this battle with snow is both a background story and a reality check. It’s about navigating campus during a storm, slipping on icy paths between classes, and realizing that the snow piles you climb over were part of a $200 million effort to make the city livable. But it’s also a chance to see how a city adapts to problems as big as the weather itself.

Maybe this is where the twist lies. Montreal’s snow removal isn’t just a story of trucks and salt. It’s about resilience, adaptation, and finding creative ways to handle challenges that cities everywhere will face as the climate continues to change. It’s a reminder that even something as mundane as clearing snow can reflect how a city fights to stay connected and move forward.

As winter rolls on, one thing is clear: Montreal isn’t backing down from its snowy foe. And in its determination, it’s carving out a blueprint for how cities can turn a battle with the elements into a story of innovation and survival.

Cheese: What it Means for Winter Roads in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – America’s Dairyland is displayed across license plates as cars drive over cheese brine treated roads, here’s why it’s sticking in some counties.

Wisconsin, known as the “Cheese Capitol of the World.”

Using a cheese byproduct to treat slick and slippery winter roads.

Green County has been using cheese brine to pre-wet roads before putting down salt treatments for over 20 years. It acts as a layer that grabs the salt that is thrown down and holds it in place. Research found that around 30% of salt scatters off the road. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Highway Commissioner says it also helps activate the salt quicker.

WisDOT gets the brine from local cheese factories, a trade secret for years. They say the brine is helping Green County be more eco-friendly when treating the roads as they use less salt during and after a storm. This is also cutting back on polluted runoff into fresh local waterways.

Green County is now the second least user of salt in the entire state of Wisconsin. Typically using 100,000 gallons of the cheese brine to treat the roads per year.

It wasn’t long until Polk County followed their lead. This northwest Wisconsin county adopted the salty, watery byproduct cheese brine in 2009.

Since cheese brine is a waste product anyways, counties can typically get it for free from local factories. This can save towns money on salt, while keeping the roads safe still.

Road conditions can even be improved with this mixture in extreme temperatures. Salt stops being effective when temperatures are colder than 15 degrees. The use of salt stops working all together when it’s 6 below zero.

Other alternatives to salt that Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, and parts of Canada use is a beet juice blend.

How heat storage technologies could keep Canada’s roads and bridges ice-free all winter long

For decades, Canadian cities and towns have combated ice and snow with salt and plows. This approach, however, comes at a steep cost. Traditional techniques damage roads, harm the environment and are not always effective at protecting road users from winter’s hazards. An innovative technology known as Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) could be an effective solution to Canada’s winter woes.

The technology behind BTES systems is elegantly simple.

Initially designed for building heating and cooling, a BTES system captures solar heat during the summer months and stores it underground. Then, when winter arrives, the stored heat is transferred through pipes beneath the road surface, warming the pavement and preventing ice formation — in essence, a solar powered underfloor heating system.

BTES systems can be applied to a diverse range of uses, from heating to strengthening foundations and even helping keep permafrost cool and stable in the Canadian north as the planet heats up.

This technology has already shown promising results in countries such as Sweden and Belgium, where it has been successfully applied to roads, bicycle paths and other infrastructure to enhance safety during winter. BTES techniques could help transform winter life in Canada and should be taken seriously.

Using the sun to warm Canada’s roads

Driving along a typical Canadian highway on a winter’s morning can be dangerous business. As drivers hustle and jostle for position unseen patches of black ice coat an incline, making it treacherous. A single slip could trigger a chain reaction of accidents, with cars skidding out of control, one after another.

Now imagine if that stretch of road were equipped with BTES systems. Hidden beneath the asphalt, a network of pipes would work to keep the pavement warm and dry, preventing ice from forming. The risk of accidents would drop dramatically, making those steep sections of road safer for everyone.

Bridges, which are especially vulnerable to freezing because they’re exposed to cold air on all sides, stand to benefit greatly from this technology. BTES systems connecting pipes beneath the bridge surface keep them ice-free and safe without salt. For cities, this is a win-win, improving safety and protecting bridges from salt and chemical damage.

BTES systems are not entirely passive; they require active input for efficient operation. Key components such as heat pumps, circulation pumps and control mechanisms need electrical energy to function. These systems facilitate the transfer of stored heat from the boreholes to the road surface.

Maintenance is also crucial, involving regular checks and servicing of the heat pumps and circulation systems, inspection of piping and insulation for leaks, and updates to control systems to ensure they efficiently manage heat distribution and maintain functionality over time.

A vehicle drives down a snow covered highway near Cremona, Alta. in October 2023. BTSE systems could help keep roads clear and safe in the winter months across Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A long-term solution

Each year, tons of salt are spread across Canada’s roads to melt ice. While mostly effective at minimizing hazards, these salts also cause long-lasting problems. Road salts can seep into groundwater, harming rivers and lakes. At the same time, these salts also corrode bridges, roads and even our cars, leading to costly repairs.

With BTES systems, municipalities could reduce or even eliminate the need for salt. This development would mean lower cleanup costs, less environmental damage, and longer-lasting roads and bridges.

While installing BTES systems has higher upfront costs, and can require more invasive construction work, experts believe that it can pay off over time by cutting back on maintenance and repair expenses. To get a comparison, for a BTES system capable of 50 to 60 tons, the upfront cost is approximately $1.8 million with a payback period of around 10.7 years, owing to significant reductions in maintenance and energy consumption.

In contrast, cities like Vancouver spend around $280,000 annually on road salt (a figure recorded in 1998), with Canada as a whole spending about $350 million annually. Additionally, the broader economic and environmental damages can escalate to approximately $4.8 billion per year, underscoring the financial and ecological impacts of road salt use.

Fewer repairs mean fewer costs down the line, making BTES systems a wise investment for cities looking for sustainable solutions. Plus, with the right support from government subsidies and tax breaks, more municipalities could be encouraged to adopt this technology where it is most needed.

A video overview of the BTSE system helping the Greater Binghamton Airport in New York keep its runway free of ice.

Beyond roads and bridges, BTES systems are also being adapted for various innovative uses. For example, in Sweden, BTES is employed under soccer fields to keep them warm and playable throughout winter while the Greater Binghamton Airport in New York uses a BTES-based system to keep runways free of ice without relying on harmful chemicals or constant plowing. This not only reduces delays but also enhances safety during winter operations.

Universities, too, are embracing geothermal energy: institutions like Ontario Tech University, the University of Calgary and Ball State University in the United States have implemented large-scale geothermal systems to cut emissions, reduce energy costs and promote sustainability.

This technology is mature and ready to be used.

A better option

Canada’s cold winters and heavy snowfall make it ideal for BTES systems. Cities like Montréal, Toronto and Calgary, where icy roads pose serious risks, could see safer commutes, fewer accidents and a more reliable way to navigate winter’s toughest challenges. Canada has the potential to lead the way by adopting BTES systems on its most treacherous roads, steep inclines and vulnerable bridges.

While bringing BTES systems to Canada comes with challenges — such as higher initial costs and a need for favourable ground conditions — these barriers can be managed with the right support. If properly implemented BTES systems could ensure safer roads year-round at a much lower environmental and financial cost.

COLUMN: It's time for Ontario to mandate winter tires - Barrie News

It’s Dec. 24 and the world is a classic Christmas winter wonderland. Our resident cardinal flashes by on his breakfast feeder visit.

Sadly, Ontario’s highways present a hazardous, less bucolic scene. It often seems Ontario’s drivers must learn to handle winter from scratch — every year.

Six decades ago, I learned to drive in Montreal and on country roads around the city. Salt was not used then. Snow-covered city streets gradually darkened to beige with dirt; rural highways remained white for days.

Then, Montreal winters featured temperatures between -10 and -30 degrees Celsius; the countryside often dipped to a bone-chilling -40 C. At that time, cars had an engine in front driving the rear wheels. Most drivers, my father included, made do with just a pair of snow tires on the rear wheels.

I was more cautious and put four snow tires on my small car, paying extra to have them drilled for metal studs — 180 studs per wheel. With extraordinary control on slippery roads, I enjoyed watching cars in my mirror following me around curves drive into a ditch. That wasn’t nice, but I was young.

One day, freezing rain glazed my dad’s long, steep driveway with ice. I took him by the hand and we slid, out of control, down to the street. Unable to walk back up, we took the (icy) stairs back into the house. I then sat him in my car, accelerated down the driveway, braked before we hit the street, and then reversed back up to the garage.

“Now, Dad, will you buy studded snow tires?”

“No.”

Nevertheless, I believe he never crashed.

At the time, Montreal had a fleet of huge Sicard snow blowers on special trucks. Plows scraped snow to the side of the street. The Sicard followed, hurling the snow onto people’s lawns.

In 1965, Montreal began to experiment with road salt. Initially, it only salted intersections, but soon expanded to whole streets. People complained that the salt-laden snow poisoned their flower beds, hedges, and lawns.

The city was forced to use its Sicard machines to fill trucks with this snow, and dumped this into the St. Lawrence River. At the time, salting the river didn’t matter; no downstream municipality used river water. (Montreal only began treating its sewage in 1984.)

Another solution to the salt problem would have been to abandon its use, leaving hard-packed snow on the streets. With the low winter temperatures Montreal experienced then, hard-packed snow offered good grip. Also, very cold ice is far less slippery than you might expect.

In 1968, I left Canada to work as a Cuso volunteer in Nairobi, Kenya. After four years in Africa, I accepted a tenured academic post in Britain, and didn’t return to Canada until 1988. The icy, cold winters I knew had gone. Today, Montreal rarely experiences temperatures below -10 C and winter thaws are frequent. Where I used to carve a cave out of the snow berm at the bottom of our yard, Montreal’s snow no longer lasts through winter.

Returning to here and now, Ontario pours millions of tonnes of salt on our roads every winter. Required by law, this is set out in Ontario Regulation 239/02, Part 5.

As a result, Ontario’s roads are almost always wet. Heavy trucks and truck-like light vehicles create dangerous spray in their wake throughout winter, greatly reducing visibility for following vehicles.

More than 40 years ago, European regulations required heavy trucks and buses to install special mud flaps, which reduced the amount of spray by 80 to 90 per cent. It’s a pity similar regulations were never developed in North America.

Meanwhile, tire manufacturers developed special rubber compounds designed to grip snow and ice far more securely than can the rubber in “all-season” tires.

Many of us who experienced studded tires appreciated them for an important characteristic. They had similar grip on all road conditions: packed snow, wet roads, ice, slush, and dry pavement.

Today’s winter tires, made of softer, porous, hydrophilic (“water-loving”) rubber and designed with their distinctive multi-siped (many small grooves) tread design, are almost as effective on ice as studded tires, and easily equal or better than them on snow. Even if studded tires were allowed in Ontario, I am not sure I would choose them over a modern winter tire.

But, back to road salting. This inflicts considerable environmental damage to surface water. The salt content of our own Lake Simcoe has been increasing steadily for half a century, beginning when we started to use salt in a futile attempt to banish winter. Attempts to reduce the application rate (the Smart About Salt program) have had no influence on this upward trend. (See graph below.) Reduction in application rates was simply overwhelmed by urban sprawl, creating evermore roads calling for salt application.

Long before our water becomes too salty to drink (the limit is 230 milligrams per litre chloride; the East Holland River is already there; Hewitt’s and Lover’s creeks are halfway), we will have dramatically changed the spectrum of life in our lakes and streams. Many crustacea, larvae and insects are very sensitive to salt, so they will die off. These are food for our fish and other fauna. If our fish are unhappy with their newly salty habitat, what will replace them? What will our sport anglers think?

We pay a heavy price for our addiction to road salt. Corrosion triggered by road salt forced the replacement of Montreal’s Champlain Bridge just half a century after it first opened — costing more than $4.2 billion. Elliot Lake’s Algo Centre Mall roof collapsed in 2012, killing two people and injuring 20. This was attributed to corrosion due to road salt from cars parked on the mall’s roof. 

Bridges across our 400-series highways have been repaired due to “concrete cancer” (salt-accelerated corrosion of reinforced concrete). Cities across Ontario have had to replace street furniture (light standards, power poles, bus shelters, etc.) damaged by road salt. Road salt damages leather shoes and dog paws.

If that isn’t enough to convince us, consider safety. Road salting’s goal is clearing all snow to bare black pavement. While that’s laudable, consider the issues in achieving that goal.

One modern means of applying salt to the road surface is to spray a thin coating of brine solution before a snowfall. The purpose of this is to prevent a new snowfall from adhering to the road. That, in turn, allows a snow plow to remove most of the snow in one pass.

Unfortunately, if you drive on this road before the plow has arrived, your winter tires will grip the snow, but snow pads under your wheels will slide on the road because the snow cannot stick to it. I doubt anyone could compile statistics on how many crashes have been caused by this condition, but I have often experienced it — and have quietly cursed the practice.

In summer, the City of Barrie installs speed bumps on many streets, attempting to slow cars near schools and in quiet residential areas. These are removed before winter; otherwise, the municipal plow would remove them violently.

I would suggest a good way to slow cars is to keep the road “white,” leaving it covered with packed snow. Vehicles with proper winter tires will have excellent grip. Coupled with reduced speed, this should improve safety.

I began writing in a snowstorm and finished a week later in another. The city has not plowed my short street in three days. My small world is picture-postcard clean and white. My top-of-the-line winter tires protect me 24/7; winter road maintenance often doesn’t.

It’s high time for Ontario to require all passenger vehicles to have winter tires, just as Quebec has done for years. Quebec passed such a law in 2008. Drivers must install winter tires between Dec. 1 and March 15. Since then, the number of road deaths on Quebec’s roads has halved.

So, why don’t we do this? If we do, we can also reduce the number of roads to be salted.

And, it is time we require school buses to have winter tires. After all, they carry our most precious cargo.

Winter road salt could be killing salmon eggs

Researchers have found that high levels of salt kill fertilized coho salmon eggs, raising concerns about the use of road salt in winter.

The Road Salt and Pacific Salmon Success Project, a collaboration between UBC, SFU, BCIT, the department of fisheries and oceans, and community scientists, monitors salt levels in more than 30 streams in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland (VLM). In this Q&A, zoology masters students Carley Winter (CW) and Clare Kilgour (CK) discuss the project’s preliminary results.

Why are you investigating road salt and salmon?

CW: We launched this project three winters ago to understand the impact of road salt run-off on salmon in freshwater streams throughout the Vancouver Lower Mainland. We know that Pacific salmon are in decline and we don’t know all the factors involved. Adult salmon live in salt water but grow up in fresh, and their bodies change drastically to allow this to happen. There’s evidence that when salmon are developing at very young ages, death and deformities can occur if exposed to high concentrations of road salt.

CK: Federal and provincial guidelines set maximum salt, or chloride, levels in streams, but these levels have not been widely and routinely monitored in VLM streams. We used a network of almost 40 water quality devices across the VLM to identify any patterns in road salt contamination, and specifically, whether there were spikes in conductivity occurring every winter when road salt is being applied. Then, we tested in the lab whether these levels and patterns affected salmon at the ages when they would live in these same streams and rivers; that is, salmon eggs and fry.

What did you find?

CK: Our results are preliminary and so, yet to be peer-reviewed. We measured conductivity in streams, a proxy for salt levels, and found there were indeed peaks in the winter. The largest ‘pulses’ of salt were 10 times B.C.’s acute water quality guideline for chloride in freshwater systems, equivalent to almost 30 per cent of sea water. When these pulses occur, they exceed this acute guideline just over 30 per cent of the time. On average, these excessive salt levels lasted for about a day.

CW: We mimicked these recorded salt pulses in the lab, exposing coho salmon eggs to one salt pulse either shortly after fertilization or once they hatched. We found applying a 24-hour salt pulse to embryos shortly after fertilization significantly decreased survival, starting at two times the recommended chloride levels. When salt concentrations increased to eight times the guideline level, more than 70 per cent of eggs died. If embryos survived a salt pulse of three times the recommended level, we found about four per cent of them were deformed and would not survive in nature.

Our data suggests that salting roads at current levels in November or December, when many salmon species are spawning and embryos are developing in streams, could be dangerous to coho and chum salmon.

Coho salmon eggs exposed to salt pulses. Credit: Clare Kilgour

What can we do?

CK: It’s important to keep people safe from slipping and falling during winter. Rather, we should use only the amount of salt needed to melt ice: you only need about two tablespoons per square metre. When you’re salting your driveway, spread salt out rather than placing it in clumps. This achieves the same effect but uses much less salt.

CW: Municipalities could switch to brine for melting ice on roads as it not only uses up to 50 per cent less salt, but it is more effective at sticking to streets and sidewalks. It’s a win-win: Using less road salt saves salmon and taxpayers’ money.

What are your next steps?

CK: We plan to investigate how excessive levels of salt affect salmon eggs and fry in non-lethal ways, for instance, growth and genetic effects. Our partners at SFU will look at how road salt affects coho hatching in the field next winter. 

Alternatives to salt for safe winter walkways

In winter, we deal not only with below-zero temperatures but also with the ice that accumulates on paving stones, increasing the risk of slipping and injury. Homeowners are responsible for ensuring pedestrians' safety. So, how can we manage ice effectively?

Traditionally, salt was used to combat ice on paving stones. However, it turns out that this commonly used solution may not be the best. Now, more and more homeowners are moving away from this method.

The reason is the negative impact of using salt—it not only damages paving stones and stains shoes, causing white streaks, but it is also harmful to plants and animals that may come into contact with it. Therefore, there is a need to explore alternative methods. We have a few proven suggestions worth trying this season.

Spread on paving stones instead of salt

An optimal substitute for salt could be diatomaceous earth, also known as diatomite. You can easily purchase it online. It is safe for both animals and plants. It eliminates ice and absorbs the resulting moisture.

Another recommended substance for spreading on paving stones is magnesium chloride or calcium chloride. Like diatomaceous earth, they are not harmful to animals or plants. They work effectively in low temperatures—melting ice even in severe cold.

Is sand a good idea?

Homeowners often use sand as an added measure. While sand can help maintain stability on icy surfaces, it does not contribute to melting ice, so it should be used only as a temporary solution.

U of G researching smart salt trucks, managing waterborne diseases - Guelph News

Improving winter road safety and reshaping how we control waterborne diseases are the themes of two University of Guelph research projects that have received funding through the Ontario Research Fund.

As part of more than $92 million invested by the provincial government, two University of Guelph research projects have received funding. 

The Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence (ORF-RE) program provides funding to research institutions such as universities, colleges, research institutes and research hospitals across the province.  

At U of G, improving winter road safety and reshaping the control of waterborne diseases are the two projects being supported. 

“This investment will support our researchers as they create cutting-edge, sustainable solutions to enhance the capabilities of Ontario’s infrastructure and public health sectors,” said Shayan Sharif, interim vice-president, research and innovation.

 “We thank the Government of Ontario for helping us transform these discoveries into solutions that promote health and safety in our communities.”  

Bahram Gharabaghi, professor in the School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, will develop the next generation of ‘smart’ salt trucks designed to improve road safety, reduce traffic accidents and mitigate environmental concerns associated with road salt during the winter.

According to a recent U of G release, currently, salt trucks in Ontario are operated manually. Drivers use hands-on controls to dispense salt and brine and adjust the rate and amount being applied while operating plow blades and watching the road at the same time. 

The planning process for salt application is also manual. 

Gharabaghi said a lack of automation and consistency can lead to challenges. Roads remain slippery without enough salt and overapplication wastes resources. Also, overapplication near vulnerable areas, such as freshwater sources, may be contaminated by road salt, resulting in runoff that can harm ecosystems.  

The tools being developed by Gharabaghi and his team, including Amir Aliabadi and Ed McBean, professors in the school of engineering, will equip trucks with real-time, mobile road, weather and surface monitoring technology for precision salt application. 

Built-in, remotely operated control systems will apply salt and brine at optimum rates and combinations that are automatically calculated using road condition sensors, a vehicle’s GPS location and weather forecasts for that area. 

Together, these technologies will help to make driving safer, save resource costs and protect ecological areas. 

David McCarthy, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences, Ontario Agricultural College and Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Waterborne Pathogens: Surveillance, Prediction and Mitigation, will develop innovative technologies that will enable earlier detection and better control of waterborne diseases.  

In the recent university release, McCarthy said current disease surveillance methods for water systems are limited. Poor sampling methods, expensive and time-consuming analytical methods, and incorrect identification of disease sources can reduce the efficiency of management strategies aiming to control pathogens in our waters. 

Without fully understanding where they come from, how they travel and where they end up, this can lead to costly mistakes and persistent health risks. Traditional water treatment methods are also expensive and often harmful to the environment. 

McCarthy and his team will develop accessible, integrated solutions for the surveillance, prediction and treatment of waterborne pathogens. 

These include technologies that can detect pathogens and their sources in near real-time, which is critical for disease risk reduction, modelling tools for pathogen tracking and risk assessment so that health organizations can respond to threats more accurately. 

The project will also allow for sustainable, cost-effective water infrastructure treatment systems to better control infectious agents in agriculture, recreation and drinking water scenarios.  

The Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure (ORF-RI) program’s Small Infrastructure Fund co-funds with the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). Other U of G researchers also receiving these matching funds were awarded JELF funding in August 2023 and September 2024. 

The ORF-RI program provides research institutions with funding to help support infrastructure needs, including modern facilities and equipment.  

Does NYC have enough salt for the winter? Snow doubt. - Gothamist

New York City’s sanitation department is sitting on a veritable mountain of road salt thanks to a run of relatively snow-free winters.

City officials on Wednesday said that’s a sign the city is prepared for even the nastiest of blizzards this year.

Sanitation officials gave reporters a tour of the department’s massive garage on Spring Street in Manhattan, where they showed off an arsenal of snow-fighting equipment, including plows and salt spreaders. Across the street, a heap of salt sat inside a city-owned shed, part of the city’s roughly 350,000-ton stockpile of road salt. But as winters in the city continue to grow more mild, all that equipment and material is being used less and less.

New York City recorded a combined 15 inches of snow over the last two winters, according to data from the Office of Management and Budget. The two prior winters combined for roughly 62 inches of snow, data shows.

The decline in snowfall — which experts said is connected to climate change — has nonetheless saved taxpayers money. The city reduced its budget for snow removal by $25 million this fiscal year, but officials noted they could flex more money into salting and plowing during an emergency.

Still, sanitation employees said they’re not asleep behind the plow wheel.

“ Many people think it doesn't snow in New York City anymore,” said acting Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan, who started his career collecting trash and plowing snow in the 1990s. “Those people are wrong. Last year, 13 inches of snow fell across the five boroughs. And while winter is unpredictable, we have to be ready.”

Sanitation officials said they’ve also ordered new snow fighting equipment, including more miniature snowplows that can also spread salt as they clear bike lanes and pedestrian spaces.

The agency has also added large trucks that spread brine to prevent snow from building up to its snow fighting fleet.

“ The addition of brine and liquid salt that adheres to the roadway is one of the key snow fight innovations of the last few years,” Lojan said.

Salt harming watersheds - Ontario OUT of DOORS

Much effort is put into keeping our roads, sidewalks, and parking lots safe when winter storms bring snow and ice. We obviously need to limit vehicle collisions and slips and falls. The downside is that road salt entering our rivers and lakes ultimately harms flora and fauna.

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is the predominant de-icer, making up 97% of total usage due to its cost, abundance, and effectiveness. Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride make up the remaining salts. Road salt acts by lowering the freezing point of water, creating ice melt below water’s normal freezing point of 0˚C. Sodium chloride salt is not effective below -100˚C.

Road salt is soluble and dissolves in run-off water adjacent to roads, parking lots, and sidewalks. This water with elevated levels of chloride enters storm drains, ditches, and culverts, and flows onto the earth as soil water or penetrates deeper as groundwater. Water also flows overland into streams, ponds, and lakes. Based on the yearly addition of chloride, these salinity levels increase annually.

Assessing the damage

A 2020 University of Toronto Study by Jackson and Lawson measured chloride concentration at more than 200 sites on the Humber and Don rivers and Mimico and Etobicoke creeks. Almost 90% of the samples exceeded federal guidelines for long-term chronic exposure for aquatic life.

These samples taken during the summer indicate the slow transfer of groundwater carrying winter soluble chlorides. The study shows road salt is a year-round threat to watersheds. The results also show that one-third of the sites had levels that would be lethal to two-thirds of aquatic species.

An international research study co-led by Dr. Shelley Arnott of Queens University in Kingston examined human-induced salt pollution in lakes.

Study sites throughout Europe and North America, including the Lake Ontario watershed, showed that widespread salinity had created loss of zooplankton, which in turn led to unwanted increases in algae formation and subsequent lake oxygen depletion. Major damage is being done to freshwater lakes by salt concentrations at salt levels much below that of guideline levels established by government agencies, the study concluded.

The Lake Simcoe Region Concentration Authority (LSRCA) has also been monitoring chloride levels for years. The actual chloride level of Lake Simcoe has been increasing steadily at a rate of .7 milligrams per litre annually.

LSCRA researchers found that in nearby streams and rivers, particularly in urban areas, salinity levels regularly exceeded short- and long-term guidelines established by the Canadian government.

Monitoring of road salts

In 1995, the federal government recognized the harms being done by road salt and initiated an assessment report culminating in the 2004 Code of Practice for Environmental Management of Road Salts. A second review of the code was completed in 2022.

The assessment confirmed increased chloride levels were responsible for harmful adverse effects on aquatic species, terrestrial vegetation, wildlife mortality, and soil chemistry. Recommendations included management of storage facilities, roadway application, and snow disposal, with a focus on maximizing human safety while minimizing potential harm to the environment.

All road authorities in Ontario are encouraged to implement salt management plans and identify actions they will take to improve practices related to storage and application. Whereas road authorities both provincial and municipal need to follow regulations regarding maintenance procedures this is not the case for independent contractors working on private and commercial properties.

An area of concern for contractors is the possibility of litigation if there ever is an accident. Overuse of salt is the normal reaction. Excess use of road salt on private property is estimated to make up more than 50% of total salinity concentration in watersheds of the Great Lakes.

Zooplankton impact key

Of particular concern is that research shows road salt has a toxic effect on zooplankton, key members of the food web. Not only is zooplankton food for fish, it keeps algae levels somewhat under control. An increase in algae levels creates a corresponding reduction in oxygen levels of lakes. A decrease in zooplankton levels reduces growth rates of various fish species and will inhibit optimal reproductive success.

There is no disputing the evidence that the status quo of road salt application is not acceptable.

Each year our freshwater rivers and lakes are being progressively contaminated. If we as stakeholders ignore the immediacy of the problem, it could be too late to save our freshwater ecosystems.

What can be done

There’s no simple solution. For the time being, there is a salt dependency based on the need for safety. Actions we can take include:

• Continued research and scientific studies to identify areas of salt contamination in Great Lakes watersheds
• Experimental use of alternative de-icers. Some municipalities in Ontario have used beet juice and other products, with mixed results. Use of a sand/rock salt mix has not been encouraging. More experimentation is in progress
• Support for organizations such as the Smart About Salt Council which offers training and certification for private contractors
• Pre-wetting roadways with brine can help salt stick and not create excess waste on shoulders
• Commercial property guidelines which substantially reduce the rate of salt application
• Use embedded roadway sensors to provide information on air and pavement temperatures to help decide when salting is needed
• Calibrate spreader controls on salting equipment and keep accurate records of dispersal
• Property owners should apply salt on sidewalks and driveways at a minimal rate and consider using a mix with sand.

Other reasons why salt sucks:

• Infrastructure including steel foundations of buildings and bridges suffer corrosion and rust. The Gardiner Expressway in Toronto is an example.
• Not great for vehicles.
• Plants and animals in freshwater can tolerate fluctuations in salinity but reproduction, growth rates, reduced food sources, and habitat impairment can be issues.
• Salt concentration in soil can cause flushing, reducing nutrients needed by vegetation.
• Invasive saltwater species have an easier entry into Ontario’s waterways and adapt faster.
• In areas with groundwater-fed drinking wells, increased chloride could be dangerous for individuals on a sodium-reduced diet.

Approximately five million tonnes of road salt are applied in Canada each year, according to the federal government.

Marion using a salt and molasses mixture to keep roads clear this winter | The Gazette

MARION — The city of Marion is using a new salt mixture to melt ice off roads and sidewalks this winter. The secret ingredient? Molasses.

The same molasses used in cooking and baking is now mixed in with some of the city’s salt supply and distributed throughout town.

The new blend — called “Magic-0” from Skyline Salt Solutions — includes molasses and some added calcium chloride to make the salt stick to the road surface and activate at colder temperatures.

Mike Barkalow, Marion’s public services and utilities director, said this salt mixture will be more environmentally friendly.

“By using the salt with the molasses in it, it will help the salt stick to the pavement, so there’s less salt being used, rather than it going straight into the streams,” Barkalow said.

In recent decades, road salt has been blamed for higher salt concentrations and increased alkaline levels in rivers and streams.

According to a 2018 study by the U.S. Geological Survey, of the 232 U.S. streams and rivers monitored across the country, 34 percent showed increased sodium levels and 66 percent had increased alkaline.

Barkalow said because the molasses helps the salt stick to the road surface, the city anticipates it will be able to use less salt, which also could benefit rivers and streams.

The salt mixture comes pretreated. Typical dry salt has to make contact with water to activate, Barkalow said. But for the molasses salt, the city creates a brine by adding water, which makes the salt scatter less once it is deployed on the roads.

A typical dry road salt becomes ineffective when the temperature drops below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

“If our road temperature is really cold, it doesn’t matter how much salt we throw at it, it’s not going to melt,” Barkalow said.

But with the sodium chloride added in, the salt will be effective in much colder temperatures, like minus 15-degree weather, Barkalow said.

Marion isn’t the only city taking advantage of this new molasses mixture.

Michael Duffy, assistant public works director for the City of Cedar Rapids, said the city has been testing the same mixture.

“Cedar Rapids has used a number of different materials based on the type of event, taking into consideration the duration, pavement temperature, air temperature and location of application,” Duffy said in an email to The Gazette on Monday. We utilize this treated salt during extreme cold when the salt is less effective.”

‘Another tool in the toolbox’

Despite the salt being more effective in colder temperatures and sticking to the ground better, Barkalow said the molasses mixture won’t be used every time Marion has a winter weather event.

Barkalow said the best option after snowfall is to remove the snow with snowblowers and plows, so the city will continue to use those methods. But when ice remains on the road surface after snow has been removed, Marion will use the salt mixture.

“We are looking at this just as another tool in our toolbox,” Barkalow said. “We are still learning, too.”

Marion first deployed the new salt mixture after the snowfall earlier this month. For this past weekend’s ice storm that hit much of Eastern Iowa late Friday night and into Saturday, Barkalow said the city put salt on roads prior to the storm to “pretreat” them.

Matt Morris, the operational and street maintenance manager for Marion’s Public Works Department, said the city used about 50 tons of treated salt to de-ice from Saturday’s ice storm.

He said they used the molasses mixture on primary and secondary roads, but used regular salt on residential streets.

In Cedar Rapids, Duffy said the city pretreated the roads with the salt mixture before the ice came because it is “easier to fight the ice buildup.”

The “salt is not applied to melt the ice formed, rather to break the bond between pavement and ice so it can be removed,” Duffy said.

This isn’t the first time Linn County cities have experimented with salt mixtures to de-ice roads better.

The City of Cedar Rapids uses beet juice to help salt stay in place on the roads. It’s estimated the beet juice reduces the salt’s “scattering” effect by 30 percent and could save Cedar Rapids about $25,000 per year in materials.

“The beet juice does not have any specific melting properties but does help the material stay in place longer and at colder temperatures,” Duffy said.

Barkalow said Skyline Salt brought its mixing system to Marion’s public works facility and treated 1,000 tons of salt with the molasses and calcium chloride mix. The measurements of calcium chloride and molasses in the salt is proprietary, and must be done by the company.

The city also still keeps untreated salt on hand for use on city streets.

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com