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The Smart About Salt Council is pleased to have received financial support from Environment Canada under its EcoAction Program. The grant will be used to implement the Smart About Salt program which is dedicated to reducing the environmental effects of road salts used on roads, parking lots, and sidewalks. Bob Hodgins, Executive Director of the Smart About Salt Program says that this funding will go a long way to increase our training and outreach programs and our ability to bring more people into the program.

The Smart About Salt Council announced its sponsorship program today. Many suppliers of winter maintenance materials and equipment have asked about how they can support the Smart About Salt Program. In response to these inquiries the Council has established a program that allows organizations to sponsor the program and include the Smart About Salt Sponsor logo in their promotional materials. "The sponsors will be highlighted on our website and at trade shows and training sessions" says Bob Hodgins, Executive Director, Smart About Salt Council. "These generous donations will help to expand the SAS program and provide ongoing services to our members", Hodgins says. For more information on how to become a sponsor, visit our "Become a Sponsor" webpage.

On April 11th, 2012 Environment Canada released its long awaited review of the progress on the effectiveness of its Code of Practice for the Environmental Management of Road Salts published in 2004. The report is available at this link.

Although the Code of Practice deals predominantly with road-related salt use, the Five-Year Review comments on the importance of addressing road salts used in other locations - including parking lots and sidewalks.

The report states- "The results obtained in the first five years of the Code are encouraging. Reporting was generally good, and the level of adoption of the Code by road organizations was high. Environment Canada will continue to promote the Code and encourage all road organizations to adopt it and to report consistently on their efforts."

The report makes reference to studies that show that the effective application of best winter maintenance practices has resulted in reduction of salt use by up to 45% in some areas and as high as 50% reduction in long-term chloride concentrations in groundwater.

The report also shows that, since 2001, total roadway injuries and fatalities have not increased as a result of salt reduction despite increased motor vehicle registrations and vehicle-kilometres traveled.

Despite the progress that has been made the report concludes that "chloride loadings remain a concern for heavily urbanized areas that have hight road densities, and large ares of public and private parking lots and sidewalks." Furthermore it states "that some site-specific situations may exist, where road salts used for private and institutional winter maintenance may be contributing significantly to the accumulation of chlorides in the environment."

The Smart About Salt Council continues to foster effective salt management on parking lots and sidewalks to reduce the impacts that excessive use of road salts is having on the environment.

A bill has been introduced in the State of New Hampshire legislature to limit the liability of landowners and salt applicators who opt for certification and employ winter maintenance best practices. The text of the Bill can be viewed at this link. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/SB0392.html .

On January 9th, 2012, the Ontario Parks Association recognized the Smart About Salt Council and the Regional Municipality of Waterloo with its Protecting Tomorrow Today Award. The Awards were presented at OPA's Annual Awards Luncheon in Toronto.

The award was given "in recognition of your significant contribution to the betterment of parks the environment through your leadership in protecting sustainable underground water systems and water courses in the Province of Ontario".

Bob Hodgins, Executive Director of the Smart About Salt Council accepted the award on behalf of the Council. "We are working with a number of municipal parks departments and Conservation Authorities to improve winter maintenance practices and reduce the environmental effects of excessive salt use. We are honoured to receive this prestigious award" said Hodgins.

View Award

Weather Network features a story on the Smart about Salt program. The video is currently running nationally. Learn more about the Smart about Salt program and what is being done to help manage salt use.

Click here to read story and view the video on theWeatherNetwork.com

In the latest issue of Ontario Good Roads Association's Milestones publication, read what is being done to help protect Ontario's drinking water as it relates to winter salt and how the Smart About Salt Program fits in.

Click here for link to OGRA website

Bob Hodgins, Executive Director of the Smart about Salt Council, recently appeared on 570 News Radio's Gary Doyle show to discuss the importance of reducing salt use and businesses and contractors becoming Smart about Salt certified.

Click here to listen to interview -Gary-Doyle_Smart_About_Salt_12-1_2011-12-12.mp3 

The Waterloo Region Record newspaper writes an article on winter salt use.

Snow-removal crews urged to hold the salt

Across Waterloo Region, there’s an army looking up at the skies, at their thermometers and down at the ground.

The troops often fight throughout long winter nights, leaving roads and parking lots cleared of snow and sprinkled with rock salt by early morning.

Snow removal contractors are loaded with stocks of sodium chloride and are ready to do battle. And in recent years, some of them have learned how to get more bang for their buck while using less salt.

Read entire article at http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/636583