News

The November/December 2011 issue of the Grand River Conservation Authority GRAND Actions newsletter includes an article on the Smart about Salt program and the importance of managing our salt use.

Click here to read article found on page 2 of newsletter.

November 29^th, Ottawa -

Councillor Steve Desroches; Bob Hodgins, Smart about Salt; Tony DiGiovanni, Landscape Ontario; and Dean Karakasis, BOMA after a successful Smart About Salt Summit.

The City of Ottawa hosted a Smart About Salt Summit on November 29^th to foster greater public and private partnerships in promoting efficient salt use in the City. The City is working in partnership with local public and private sector organizations, local snow removal contractors and other key stakeholders, to move forward with salt management best practices as a means of protecting the environment and being fiscally responsible.

“The City is committed to being an environmental leader and steward through the adoption of innovative ways of reducing the amount of rock salt spread over the winter season,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “We are pleased to be working in collaboration with other jurisdictions to make smart choices about how and when we use salt to improve safety, while ensuring our actions are in the best interests of our residents and the environment.”

The Smart About Salt Summit brought together public and private sector groups, Smart About Salt Council, Landscape Ontario and the Ontario Good Roads Association, to discuss best salt management practices and the City’s ongoing work to  be better at managing the use of de-icing chemical on its roads, parking lots and sidewalks. The event was widely attended with representation from local colleges, universities and school boards, the National Capital Commission, the federal and provincial government, commercial real estate and the snow removal contracting industry.

“Salt is a necessary tools for keeping our roads and sidewalks clear of ice during the winter, but excessive use of this important resource can lead to negative impacts on our environment,” said Councillor Steve Desroches. “By implementing smart salt practices, we will not only achieve environmental benefits, but also reduce winter maintenance costs and extend the capital life of our infrastructure.”

John Manconi, General Manager of Public Works for the City outlined how the City has significantly optimized how it uses salt on winter roads and sidewalks to minimize the effects of salt on the local environment while maintaining safety. He explained how the City has had many of its internal staff that maintains City facilities take the Smart About Salt training and their plans to implement the program at 5 city facilities.

“As responsible members of the community, we at BOMA recognize the need to take a leadership role in advocating for smart rock salt usage amongst our members as a means of protecting our environment and the people we serve,” said Dean Karakasis, Executive Director of the Building Owners and Managers Association, Ottawa Chapter. “We are pleased to work closely with the City on this worthwhile initiative.”

Tony DiGiovanni, Executive Director of Landscape Ontario, speaking on behalf of the contracting industry said: “Landscape Ontario is endorsing the Smart About Salt program for 5 interconnected reasons: 1) the program raises the level of professionalism within our sector; 2) the program begins the process of encouraging standardization; 3) the program promotes environmental stewardship; 4) the program promotes safe operations and risk management; and 5) the program will give Smart About Salt Certified contractors a competitive edge where clients require SAS Accreditation.

Brian Stratton of the Mississippi-Rideau Source Water Protection Region explained the Ontario-wide initiative to protect Ontario’s drinking water from contaminants including road salts. He explained how they are developing policies that draw on the Smart About Salt Program to help protect vulnerable drinking water sources in the Region.

“I congratulate the City of Ottawa for its leadership in promoting public safety and environmental stewardship by hosting the Smart About Salt summit, and look forward to working with the City and the many attendees to implement the program,” says Bob Hodgins, Executive Director of the Smart About Salt Council.

On September 28th, 2011, Ottawa City Council passes the following motion brought forward by the Transportation committee.

That Council approve that the City of Ottawa continues to illustrate environmental leadership and stewardship by:

 

a. working closely with the provincial Smart About Salt Council;

b. adopting staff training programs to encourage smart salt practices for city parking lots and public facilities;

c. phasing in a requirement for City contractors to be certified in smart salt usage;

d. hosting a public-private Smart Salt Summit in the Fall of 2011 to share best practices in salt management with BOMA and other local public institutions;

e. providing information for residents on the City website for smart salt usage for residents and private property.

The Smart About Salt Council has been working with the City on pilot projects at City facilities and on a Smart About Summit to be held at City Hall later this month.

Deputy Mayor Steve Desroches, who lead the motion to bring Smart About Salt to the City, will chair the summit directed at finding ways to further enhance the City's salt management efforts.

The Smart About Salt Council in partnership with BOMA Ottawa held a training course in Ottawa on November 9th that was well attended with representatives from the City, local contractors and facility managers.

Landscape Ontario's Horticultural Review includes a regular column on Smart About Salt. The November 2011 issue talks about ways to be proactive to reduce ice buildup from water run off and snow melt.

PDF of article

Click here to read entire issue of Horticultural Review

 

Landscape Ontario's Horticultural Review includes a regular column on Smart About Salt. The October 2011 issue includes information on contract requiring contractors to be Smart About Salt certified.

PDF of article

Click here to read entire issue of Horticultural Review

The Ontario Good Roads Association has championed good salt management on municipal roads over the past decade. It is also supportive of the Smart About Salt program as the logical next step for municipalities in their efforts to manage the total amount of road salt they use. Read the Milestones Article.

Bob Hodgins, Executive Director, Smart About Salt (SAS) Council has been in discussions with GO Transit to bring the Smart About Salt Program to GO’s facilities. GO Transit has over 60 sites consisting of parking lots and platforms. Given the high degree of public traffic at these sites, good winter maintenance practices are essential to public safety.  GO’s plan is to phase the Smart About Salt program into its operations as contracts become due. Eventually, contractors will be required to be Smart About Salt Certified to be eligible to bid on GO’s snow and ice control contracts.  Contracts going out this year will  allow time for contractors to become SAS certified by requiring them to register for designation this year and complete the certification process by early 2012 prior to the start of the second year of the contracts. Contractors who wish to bid on GO Transit snow and ice control contracts are urged to start the Certification process by registering online or downloading and emailing their registration of their intent to become certified to the Smart About Salt Council at smartaboutsalt@bell.net.

Alex Piggott, City of Woodstock's Works Superintendent is including the Smart About Salt Program in the City's efforts to manage the environmental effects of road salt being used by the City while ensuring safe winter travel. In the City's most recent Parking Lot Winter Maintenance Tender, Alex has put snow and ice contractors on notice that all future tenders will require contractors to be Smart About Salt certified and trained."We see the Smart About Salt program as the perfect vehicle for meeting our environmental and safety objectives by improving salt management at our facilities." says Piggott.

Bob Hodgins, Executive Director, Smart About Salt Council spoke to the City of Woodstock's Environmental Advisory Committee on August 8th as part of the program's ongoing efforts to promote the benefits of being Smart About Salt.

The Smart About Salt program is an important tool in managing your winter related risks. The value of the program has been recognized by Marsh Canada, Insurance Broker for CNLA. Lyne Erwin, Managing Director of Marsh Canada Limited wrote: “The current HortProtect Insurance Program through CNLA offers a liability premium discount for members who have their Smart About Salt designation.”

 

Smart About Salt Certified contractors are dedicated to proactive winter control using best management practices to reduce winter related risks. “SAS certified contractors know that being proactive, using the right tools and maintaining accurate and detailed records are the keys to reducing their liability”, says Bob Hodgins, Executive Director, Smart About Salt Council. The program also requires facility owners that want to become SAS Certified to conduct a risk audit of their sites to identify high risk areas and develop strategies to reduce the potential for slip/falls. The partnership model that the Smart About Salt Program promotes between facility and contractor is the best way to work together to manage risk.

 

The Smart About Salt Council and Marsh Canada will work together to develop ways that serve the snow and ice control industry and their clients.

During the Walkerton Inquiry, Justice Dennis O'Connor wrote "The first barrier to the contamination of drinking water involves protecting the sources of drinking water."  To this end, the Province of Ontario passed the Clean Water Act and launched a program to prepare local plans to protect drinking water. These plans are being developed under the purview of Ontario's Conservation Authorities.

Road salt has been identified as one of the threats that need to be considered in preparing Source Protection Plans.

The Smart About Salt Council has prepared a brief SAS and Source Protection.pdf to show how the Smart About Salt Program can help in managing salt loadings to vulnerable source water. This brief has been provided to those leading the Source Protection Process.

We continue to spread the word on behalf of our members about how Smart About Salt Certified Contractors and Facilities are committed to implementing best salt management practices.