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  • 12 Nov 2024 12:04 PM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    From De-icing to Dining, Salt's Enduring Role in the Economy

    The global salt industry traces its origins back thousands of years, making it one of humanity's oldest economic activities. Today, the salt industry continues to thrive on high demand, catering to essential sectors with its wide range of applications. From seasoning our meals to keeping our roads safe during winter, salt's role is multifaceted. A closer look at the end market demand for salt unveils the sectors driving its consumption.

    Leading the Way: De-icing Demand

    The de-icing sector is the largest salt consumer, accounting for a substantial 41%1 of the market. This segment's significant share highlights its vital role in ensuring transportation safety in cold climates. Every winter, large amounts of de-icing salt are applied to roads, highways, sidewalks, and parking lots to melt ice. This practice is essential for public safety, as it significantly reduces traffic collisions by up to 88%2 during icy conditions, ensuring safer travel for everyone. Salt-based de-icers keep daily life moving smoothly during the winter by preventing ice from forming on the surfaces it covers. Moreover, road conditions contribute to over 544 million vehicle hours of delay annually2, emphasizing the importance of effective winter road management.

    The Chemical Sector's Strong Appetite

    The chemical industry follows closely, representing 38% of salt consumption. Salt serves as a foundational raw material in producing various chemicals, including chlorine and caustic soda. These chemicals, in turn, play vital roles in manufacturing processes across industries, from water treatment to the production of PVC.

    Distributors’ Role in Salt Consumption

    Distributors facilitate the movement of salt from producers to end consumers across different industries. They act as intermediaries, handling salt logistics from producers to final end users across industries. For example, a distributor might supply salt to a food manufacturer, a municipality for road de-icing, and an agricultural supplier. So, they facilitate the movement without directly consuming the product. However, they do purchase it to subsequently sell it to end users. For instance, Univar Solutions3 may buy salt from Cargill to sell on to various businesses, including local retailers, industrial users, and municipalities. Distributors make up 10% of salt consumption.

    Salt in Food: A Taste of Tradition

    The food industry, with a 4% share, underscores salt's timeless role in culinary arts. Beyond flavoring, salt acts as a preservative, extending the shelf life of numerous food products. This segment's steady demand reflects salt's indispensable place in kitchens around the world.

    Salt’s Agricultural Applications

    Agriculture accounts for 3% of the salt market. That’s because salt is an essential mineral for livestock health. Adding it to animal feed helps improve digestion, metabolism, and the overall well-being of animals like cattle, sheep, and horses. Salt is also sometimes added to silage (fermented feed) to prevent spoilage. It helps reduce mold growth and bacterial contamination, ensuring the feed remains nutritious and safe for animals. Additionally, salt is sometimes applied to manage specific soil conditions, to improve soil structure, or to naturally control weeds. However, salt application is carefully managed, as excessive salt can harm crops.

    Niche Yet Vital: General Industrial Consumption

    The general industrial sector accounts for 2% of total salt consumption and includes diverse applications outside of chemical, food, and agricultural uses. Industries in this category use salt in manufacturing processes, metal processing, oil refining, and textile dyeing. For instance, in metal processing, salt is used for deoxidation and to create a controlled atmosphere for heat treatment. In oil refining, salt aids in removing impurities from crude oil, enhancing the refining process. Textile manufacturers use salt to fix dyes to fabrics and improve color consistency.

    Specific companies that might utilize salt in these capacities include Akron Steel Treating Company4 for metal treatment processes, Chevron Corp (NYSE: CVX) in oil refining, and Gildan Activewear Inc (NYSE: GIL) in textile dyeing. Although salt use in these applications is smaller in scale than de-icing or chemical feedstock, it remains essential for certain manufacturing functions.

    Water Treatment: A Clear Need

    With a 1% market share, the water treatment sector relies on salt to soften hard water and in purification processes. This essential use case underscores salt's role in ensuring access to clean water, a critical resource for homes and industries alike.

    The 'Other' Spectrum

    Lastly, the 'other' category, making up 1% of the market, captures salt's use in numerous lesser-known applications, from specialized manufacturing to environmental control. This segment reflects the ongoing innovation in salt usage, expanding its relevance across new industries.

    The Versatility of Salt

    The salt industry's reach into multiple sectors illustrates its foundational importance in our daily lives and the economy. From keeping our roads safe and our food flavorful to playing a critical role in chemical production and water treatment, salt's versatility ensures it remains a staple in various industries.

    Yet, salt is a commodity that tends to be overlooked by investors. It doesn’t sport the headline-grabbing importance attached to commodities like copper and lithium and doesn’t have the consumer appeal of coffee and cocoa. So, salt remains an omnipresent but understated player in the global market.

    Despite its modest visibility on the investment stage, salt's significance in industrial processes and steady demand across various sectors make it a staple commodity with a level of market stability attractive to those with an eye for long-term investments.

    Moreover, salt's adaptability to climate-driven demand, especially in de-icing, showcases its role in public safety and infrastructure maintenance. This need is particularly pronounced in regions experiencing severe winters, where salt's application ensures functional transportation networks, highlighting a seasonal yet predictable spike in demand.

    The overlooked nature of salt as an investment opportunity might stem from its widespread availability and perceived low cost. Yet, salt's economic dynamics, such as production costs, the geographical distribution of major mines, and supply chain logistics, reveal nuanced investment opportunities. Regions with significant reserves or advanced technologies can offer competitive advantages, making companies in these areas attractive investment targets.

    For investors seeking a potentially stable investment in the commodity markets, salt may prove appealing.

    Invest in Salt: Discovering Hidden Market Opportunities

    Atlas Salt Inc. (TSXV: SALT) (OTCQB: REMRF) is bringing North American investors a unique opportunity to invest in a defensive mining stock. The Great Atlantic Salt Project is the first new underground salt mine in North America in over 20 years, strategically located near key markets with excellent infrastructure including roads, a deep-water port, and access to high-voltage power. This reduces transportation costs and positions Great Atlantic as a low-cost, long-life producer of salt.

    Furthermore, competing mines have aging assets, and international suppliers can be displaced on distance and carbon emissions, with Great Atlantic expected to be one of the world’s lowest greenhouse gas mining projects.

    De-icing road salt is the biggest single individual market for salt in North America, and Atlas’ Great Atlantic Salt Project is situated right where it’s needed most. Salt is a non-cyclical commodity and a truly defensive investment. Best of all, an efficient salt mine drives incredible long-term free cash flow.

    A comprehensive feasibility study, greenhouse gas emissions survey, and both environmental and economic assessments have confirmed the viability of the Great Atlantic Salt Project. With these milestones achieved, pre-construction development is now actively progressing.

    Intrigued by this defensive growth stock? Amid the cyclicality of the mining sector, Atlas Salt stands out.

    Explore the Atlas Salt Opportunity

    Sources

    1. U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2024.  https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2024/mcs2024-salt.pdf 

    2. Highways Agency. Road Salt Primer, 2015. https://www.highways.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/road-salt-primer-final.pdf

    3. Univar Solutions. Cargill, 2023. https://www.univarsolutions.com/suppliers/cargill

    4. https://www.akronsteeltreating.com/blog/2022/07/21/benefits-of-salt-heat-treatment

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    Explore more on these topics:

    Metals and MiningPrecious Metals and MineralsCritical MineralsRock SaltData StorytellingMaterialsAtlas Salt

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  • 05 Nov 2024 1:44 PM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    Moncton plans to clear snow from more sidewalks around schools

    Moncton councillors have approved a new sidewalk snow clearing plan to boost clearing around schools and transit stops. 

    Don Morehouse, the city's director of public works, told reporters Monday evening that the changes focus on increasing efforts around kindergarten to Grade 8 schools. 

    Morehouse said the city is aiming to clear all sidewalks within half a kilometre of those schools. In the past, the city may have only cleared a sidewalk on one side of the street. 

    The city also will clear sidewalks adjacent to all transit stops.

    "Transit is becoming a highly used service in the city and we want to make sure it's supported in the winter time," Morehouse said.

    The city has 488 kilometres of sidewalks, with 305 cleared in the winter. The changes mean 16 more kilometres will be cleared this winter.

    The changes came after several councillors voiced concerns about young children walking on the street because sidewalks weren't cleared. 

    "I really appreciate seeing this happen," Coun. Paul Richard, who advocated for the change, said during Monday's council meeting. 

    A Codiac Transpo bus drives down Highfield Street in Moncton. Morehouse says the issue of clearing sidewalks will be an important topic when council considers the municipal budget this fall. (Shane Magee/CBC)

    A Codiac Transpo bus drives down Highfield Street in Moncton. Morehouse says the issue of clearing sidewalks will be an important topic when council considers the municipal budget this fall. (Shane Magee/CBC)

    Morehouse said further changes may be discussed at the city's 2025 budget deliberations, expected to take place later this month.

    The unanimous vote followed a discussion at a committee meeting last week. A staff presentation at that Oct. 28 meeting outlined several options and their costs, accounting for equipment and staff:





    • Clearing 65 per cent next year would increase city spending by $657,000.
    • Clearing 73 per cent next year under an ambitious plan would cost $1.4 million. 

    Morehouse said the issue will be an important topic when council considers the municipal budget this fall.

    "The city is growing," he said. "We are seeing a lot of of more people using the sidewalks. And so we've got to make sure they're properly constructed, maintained and looked after."

  • 21 Sep 2024 8:05 AM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    GTA watersheds cited as under threat by Highway 413 | Canada's National Observer: Climate News

    new report warns of severe habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, water contamination and other serious impacts if the Ford government's proposed Highway 413 proceeds across three key watersheds.

    Released by advocacy group Environmental Defence, the report is based on research from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), and underscores the importance of the Humber River, Etobicoke Creek and Credit River for sustaining optimal living conditions for area residents and diverse ecosystems.

    “Everything in a watershed is connected,” said Rebecca Kolarich, water program manager at Environmental Defence and author of the report. Watersheds allow water from rivers, streams or rain to drain into larger bodies of water.

    “Watersheds are like veins pumping blood to our hearts. They provide numerous benefits like flood prevention, clean water and habitat for species, while also helping mitigate climate change,” Kolarich said.

    They are essential for supporting wildlife, maintaining water quality, providing recreational spaces, and boosting climate resilience, she added. 

    The report warns Highway 413 would pave the way for urbanization and traffic that disrupts critical ecosystems and introduces harmful pollutants, such as chlorides from road salt into freshwater systems. The highway poses a threat to over 500 species of regional concern in these watersheds, including at least 65 species at risk, and increases the potential for flooding in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the report states.

    Watersheds are key for the long-term survival of species and ecosystems in the GTA. “We can’t afford to put them, and by extension ourselves, at risk by allowing unnecessary development projects like Highway 413 to be built,” Kolarich said.

    If constructed, Highway 413 will cut through 2,000 acres of farmland, cross 85 waterways, and pave over nearly 400 acres of protected Greenbelt land. The impact will be felt in 220 wetlands, destroying critical habitats and disrupting migration routes, food sources, and breeding grounds, severely affecting species like the redside dace minnow.  Restoration would be nearly impossible.

    According to the report, chloride contamination levels are already rising in the three watersheds. The construction of Highway 413 would exacerbate this problem, turning freshwater habitats into toxic, salty environments. Humber River. Photo submitted by Environmental Defence.

    “The highway would destroy natural areas that are home to these species, and once they're gone, we can't bring them back to their natural state,” Kolarich warns.

    Ford rejects concerns about the project’s impact on species at risk. The provincial government claims Highway 413 is essential for expanding infrastructure in the Greater Golden Horseshoe to accommodate significant population growth in southern Ontario over the next 30 years. Investing in infrastructure is key to Ontario’s long-term economic strategy, with the highway expected to contribute up to $350 million in GDP annually during construction, the government suggests.

    One of the most dangerous chemical runoffs from highways is chloride, a component of road salt used to de-ice roads in winter. It can harm human health, freshwater plants and animals, Kolarich said.

    According to the report, chloride contamination levels are already rising in the three watersheds. The construction of Highway 413 would exacerbate this problem, turning freshwater habitats into toxic, salty environments.

    Drinking water can also become unsafe if infrastructure, such as wells and pipes, corrode because of exposure to high levels of chloride. “Treating groundwater to remove chloride is extremely expensive,” Kolarich says.  “And it would be a burden for many municipalities. The smarter solution is to avoid building the highway in the first place.”

    According to Kolarich, paving over natural areas like wetlands and forest with hard surfaces like roads and parking lots, disrupts the natural water filtration process and can lead to flooding. 

    Natural areas absorb rainwater and prevent overflow. “We have seen the impacts that replacing natural areas with hard, impervious surfaces has, especially this past summer with the flooding in Toronto.”

    The highway poses a threat to over 500 species of regional concern in these watersheds, including at least 65 species at risk, and increases the potential for flooding in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the report states. Map submitted by Environmental Defence.

    Ontario has been paving over natural areas like wetlands for decades, leaving rainwater with nowhere to go, Kolarich told Canada’s National Observer. “Because Highway 413 is proposed to pave over natural rainwater-absorbing and water-filtering areas in each watershed, we can expect more frequent flooding in the coming years if the highway is built.”

    Given the environmental risks posed by Highway 413, Kolarich and other environmental advocates want the project scrapped in favour of more sustainable transportation solutions. One alternative suggested in the report is to expand public transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). By improving public transit, the region could reduce traffic congestion and lower greenhouse gas emissions without destroying natural habitats.

    “The federal government has the legal authority to stop this highway,” Kolarich said. “They need to step in and re-designate Highway 413 for a new impact assessment, especially considering the threats to species at risk and the irreversible damage to our watersheds.”

  • 21 Sep 2024 8:04 AM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    District to single source winter road salt following unsatisfactory bids - Huntsville Doppler (doppleronline.ca)

    To ensure it is prepared for this winter, the District will stick to the current suppliers of winter road salt despite its procurement policy, which requires that it go out to tender after renewing a contract with an existing supplier a maximum of five times.

    Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works James Steele told District Council at its September meeting that a tender had gone out this summer. He said three of the four bids received were non-compliant, while a fourth bid was way over budget.

    The District set aside $925,000 for winter control materials in 2024 and again in the 2025 draft budget. “This budget is used for supply of various winter control materials such as sand, pre-treatment liquids, rock salt and pretreated salt. Provision of rock salt and pre-treated salt make up approximately 68% of the budgeted amounts, which is equal to an annual budget of approximately $625,000,” according to Steele’s report to council. He said the bid received exceeded the budgeted amount by 27 per cent or $234,400.

    He recommended proceeding with a single-source procurement for another year with the existing suppliers, K+S Windsor and Salt Ltd. and Compass Minerals, and initiating another procurement process in 2025. He said the one-year contract would have the same terms but unit prices will be adjusted based on a Consumer Prince Index (CPI) as of July 2024 estimated at 2.5%. Steele said the cost of the materials procured through the contract extension is estimated at $620,000.

    “As you know road salt is a critical component of winter maintenance and we don’t want to be in a situation where we don’t have a bonafide vendor to start stockpiling preparation,” said Steele.


  • 11 Sep 2024 6:42 AM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    How to Improve Road Safety During Winter Storms | FeastMagazine (feast-magazine.co.uk)

    Did you know that many car accidents occur on icy or snowy roads? Shocking right? Winter weather presents a significant challenge to road safety and leads to hazardous driving conditions such as icy roads, reduced visibility, and snow-covered pathways.

    These conditions increase accident risk and make travel dangerous. But even in these conditions, we sometimes have to be on the road to go to work or access essential services. You must be well prepared for the challenging road ahead in such situations. Read along to learn how to improve road safety during winter storms.

    Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter Driving

    Before hitting the road this winter, ensure your car is ready for the season. Start with your tires. Keep them properly inflated to maintain grip on the road. Cold weather can drop tire pressure. Also, inspect the tread and sidewalls for damage. Winter tires are smart as they offer better grip on snowy roads.

    Next, check your car’s battery. Cold weather can strain it because cars need more power when it’s freezing. Have a mechanic check if your battery can handle low temperatures before winter starts. If you drive an electric vehicle, ensure the battery is charged well beyond your usual needs to keep you safe if you get stuck.

    Replace old windshield wipers and use winter-grade windshield washer fluid for clear visibility. If you live in an area with harsh winters, consider heated wiper blades.

    Make sure all lights work and check your brakes for wear and tear. Good lights help you see and be seen, while well-maintained brakes are essential for safe stopping on icy roads. You can prepare your car for winter driving challenges by taking these steps. Stay safe and drive carefully this season.

    Winterizing Infrastructure

    While individual drivers can stay safe by following the above tips, the local government must also ensure road safety during winter storms.

    The authority must prioritize timely plowing and salting of roads. Salts, such as salt brine for roads, prevent ice from forming by lowering the water’s freezing point. They can also use sand or other abrasives to improve traction in extreme conditions.

    Snow fences along roadways can control snow accumulation, especially in areas prone to heavy snowfall. They should also ensure road signs are visible even in low-light conditions.

    Safe Driving Practices

    Winter is the best time to show your riding skills. But be careful because taking risks can be dangerous. Drive at a reasonable speed. If you need to get somewhere quickly, leave early. Icy and snowy roads make control easier to lose. Driving slower gives you more time to react and reduces skidding risk.

    Increase the following distance so you have enough time to stop in an emergency. Leave at least six to eight seconds of space between your car and the one in front. Avoid sudden movements to prevent skidding.

    Use low beams when visibility is poor. High beams reflect snowflakes and make it harder to see. If your vehicle skids, steer in the direction you want the front wheels to move. Don’t slam on the brakes as this can worsen the skid.

    Emergency Preparedness

    Accidents and emergencies can happen even with the best preparations. It’s always good to have a plan. Tell someone about your travel plans, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If you’re late, they can inform the authorities.

    Ensure you have an emergency kit with items like blankets, a flashlight, non-perishable food, water, a first aid kit, a shovel, and jumper cables. Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid running out of fuel if you get stuck.

    If you get stuck or stranded, stay in your vehicle until help comes. This will make finding a car easier for rescuers and keep you safe in bad weather.

    Plan Your Route and Time

    Check the weather forecast and road conditions before you leave. You should be aware of winter risks, such as avalanches, blizzards, and ice storms. Staying at home is better than having to apologize for them.

    Delay your trip until conditions improve. Have a GPS and traffic app to notify you of real-time traffic updates on road conditions. Stick to the main roads because they are more likely to be plowed and treated with salt or sand. A shortcut might be the longest way home.

    Winter storms are a significant risk to road safety. Avoid travelling unless necessary. Remember, how you drive and prepare is the key to safe winter driving.


  • 28 Aug 2024 6:07 AM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    Workers returning to Windsor Salt after warm winter idles plant | CBC News

    One of the largest road salt producers in the Great Lakes region is restarting after the operation was idled in April because of a warm winter. 

    About 80 percent of employees are returning to work at Windsor Salt, according to a company spokesperson in a statement. 

    There were 150 people laid off when the operation was idled in April because of a reduced demand for salt. 

    "The key factor to this decision has been unfavourable weather conditions leading to soft customer demand," said a spokesperson for Morton Salt at the time.

    Morton Salt owns the operation that produces road salt and table salt.

    A union spokesperson declined to comment on the restart of the mine which the company said started on August 12.

  • 03 Jul 2024 10:23 AM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    Earth's salt cycle is swinging out of balance, posing yet another “existential threat," study finds (msn.com)

    It is not pleasant to imagine that human activity is making the planet uninhabitable, but we typically think of this in terms of greenhouse gases, rising sea levels or acidifying the oceans. We aren't typically concerned with how salty things are.

    Yet a recent study published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment identifies a wealth of industrial activities from construction and agriculture to water and road treatment as making the planet Earth too salty — literally.

    "There is a need to identify environmental limits and thresholds for salt ions and reduce salinization before planetary boundaries are exceeded, causing serious or irreversible damage across Earth systems," the study authors report, arriving at their conclusion following a systematic review of existing studies on Earth's natural salt cycle and how it has been accelerated by human activities.

    They warn of an “existential threat”  that could lead to a problem known as freshwater salinization syndrome, or a condition in which traditionally un-salted water is suddenly filled with the stuff. Freshwater salinization syndrome can make the water uninhabitable to creatures that previously called it home and, similarly, render it unusable for human consumption.

    “If you think of the planet as a living organism, when you accumulate so much salt it could affect the functioning of vital organs or ecosystems,” University of Maryland geology professor Sujay Kaushal, who holds a joint appointment in UMD’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, said in a press statement. “Removing salt from water is energy intensive and expensive, and the brine byproduct you end up with is saltier than ocean water and can’t be easily disposed of.”

    This phenomenon was described by the authors as an "anthropogenic salt cycle" that is managing to supersede and hyper fuel nature's much slower salt cycle, during which salt ions are gradually brought to the surface by geological and hydrological processes. This is in stark contrast to humans forcing salts like calcium, potassium, magnesium and sulfate ions to the surface on a regular basis thanks to practices like mining and land development.

    When most people think of salt, they tend to think of sodium chloride, the same stuff as table salt.

    "But our work over the years has shown that we’ve disturbed other types of salts, including ones related to limestone, gypsum and calcium sulfate,” Kaushal said in the press statement. These salt ions are being dislodged in such large amounts that, according to the new study, human-caused salinization is affecting approximately 2.5 billion acres of soil around the world — an area roughly the size of the United States. And that only accounts for the land itself; salt ions also increased in rivers and streams over the last 50 years, which is consistent with global patterns in salt production and consumption.

    “Twenty years ago, all we had were case studies. We could say surface waters were salty here in New York or in Baltimore’s drinking water supply,” study co-author Gene Likens, an ecologist at the University of Connecticut and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, said in the press statement. “We now show that it’s a cycle — from the deep Earth to the atmosphere — that’s been significantly perturbed by human activities.”

    When the study's authors refer to "planetary boundaries," they are utilizing a concept that has appeared in other academic literature. Earth has a number of physical limits that exist in terms of being able to support life, and scientists repeatedly warn that those planetary boundaries are in danger of being exceeded. A September study in the journal Science Advances demonstrated that humans are putting Earth in dangerous territory with six of its planetary boundaries. These include land system change, freshwater change, climate change, biosphere integrity, the flows of biological and geological chemicals and novel entities like plastics, pesticides and industrial chemicals.

    "We can think of the Earth's resources as the currency that supports us," the study's lead author Dr. Katherine Richardson, professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of Copenhagen's Sustainability Science Centre told Salon at the time. "The planetary boundaries framework is like a bank statement — it tells us how much of various components (resources) of the Earth system we can allow ourselves to us without greatly increasing the risk that our activities will lead to dramatic and potentially irreversible changes in the overall environmental conditions we experience on Earth."

    As humans continue to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, they trap heat and cause our planet to unnaturally warm. This is why a recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Ii global temperatures increase by at least 1 degree Celsius, temperatures will rise so much that billions of people will every year confront heat so intense their bodies will be unable to naturally cool themselves. This explains why climate change is such an important issue, but it's also far from the only one. Every resource we consume comes at a cost, and that include even simple things like salt.


  • 30 Jun 2024 7:31 AM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

    LETTER: Like swimming in Lake Simcoe? Then we need to use less road salt - Innisfil News (innisfiltoday.ca)

    Salt in freshwater can create multiple issues, says Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition executive director

    Letter to the Editorabout 19 hours ago

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      InnisfilToday welcomes letters to the editor at chris@innisfiltoday.ca or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). InnisfilToday received the following letter regarding the amount of salt entering the watershed and its implications on swimming.

      The surest sign of a summer well-lived is a wet towel by the lake. What is not to love about summer swimming after Canada’s long winters when the water isn’t even wet? To preserve what we love will take some effort, but we know it’s worth it.

      As you paddle, swim, fish and sail through your summer days, consider that despite winter being long over, winter road salt is still in our waters. Most people don’t know why this matters.

      Combined with warmer waters, excess salt contributes to conditions favourable to the growth of algae. Freshwater fish cannot adapt to living in salt water, but more importantly, an increased salt concentration in water can influence the dynamics of food webs, including the tiny little aquatic critters that fish eat. 

      Lake Simcoe is on an upward trend for road salt concentrations. Ontario’s 10-year report on Lake Simcoe says, “The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority have measured chloride since 1971 at Atherley Narrows (where the water flows out of Lake Simcoe to the north) and since 2000 at stations in the lake. Chloride concentrations have increased significantly at Atherley Narrows and averaged across the lake.

      The lake-wide chloride concentration in 2012 was 44 mg/L, and in 2018 it was 52 mg/L...If this rate continues, Lake Simcoe will reach the chronic threshold level by 2058; the chronic threshold is the maximum concentration of chloride before constant exposure could affect sensitive aquatic life. This would be 11 years earlier than previously predicted due to a higher rate of increase.” 

      This should be something we can fix, and indeed, it is. Right now, eight community and environmental groups from Sudbury to Niagara are campaigning together for change through the new Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition. The opportunity at the moment is for citizens to support Landscape Ontario’s Snow and Ice Sector Group discussions with the government for limited liability protection and Sector Best Management Practice. This proposed package of reforms would allow the sector to do a better job, using less salt.  Indeed, it’s the risk of slip-and-fall lawsuits that is largely responsible for the over-application of salt. 

      While the community and environmental groups are aiming for increased protection for freshwater, we know a great opportunity when we see it. So, join the movement, and sign the petition to protect what matters.

      Claire Malcolmson
      Executive Director, Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition

    • 21 May 2024 7:02 PM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

      Road salt usage down across Muskoka: Misko - Huntsville Doppler (doppleronline.ca)

      A number of factors appear to have come together to reduce the amount of salt used on local roads throughout the winter months.

      This week, Mark Misko, the District of Muskoka Director of Engineering and Transportation, put together a report on annual road salt usage that shows positive trends.

      Misko indicated tonnages of road salt have trended downward over the past few years. He attributes the decline to significant operational changes and implementing incremental opportunities for improvement

      “Work will continue to refine processes, procedures and investigating new technology as it becomes available in the market,” says Misko in his report.

      Misko says District staff continue to work with the area municipalities to determine what additional methods and controls can be implemented.

      “For example, Bracebridge has included directliquid application (DLA) as one of their treatment methods to reduce ice accumulation,” says Misko. “Gravenhurst, through a combined procurement effort, has included pre-treated salt within their sand stockpiles to assist in surface adhesion when applied.”

      Miskoka says road sale salt usage fluctuates based on winter storm severity,  but implementing industry best practices has helped to reduce the amount of salt used on the road network.

      In October of 2020 the Friends of the Muskoka Watershed (FOTW) published The Road Salt Threat to Muskoka Lakes, which revealed a correlation between chloride levels in some of Muskoka Lakes and their relative location with respect to major highways.

      FOTW launched a testing program last year to look into the effects of road salt on local lakes. The group said once the data is gathered to determine how chloride enters the lakes, the next step is to find solutions and modifications which can involve the whole community.

      In his report Misko maintains that rock salt continues to be an effective de-icer and is the most widely used product in North America due to its fast melting action and its ready availability in the area. Road salt is generally very effective from 0ºC to approximately -10ºC, he says. Its effectiveness is enhanced by frictional forces as well as surface temperatures. Alternatives to rock salt have been considered, however, all available options have their own unique pros and cons.

    • 09 May 2024 12:57 PM | Smart About Salt (Administrator)

      Reducing salt amounts for de-icing must be stepped up to protect groundwater: researcher - Turf & Rec (turfandrec.com)

      Groundwater and lakes in Ontario are becoming saltier, and the need to reduce road salt use during the winter months is something that can’t wait, researchers from the University of Waterloo say.

      Many landscape contractors who provide snow and ice services during the winter use salt to keep parking lots, driveways and sidewalks free of ice, but the downside is that salt is making its way into groundwater and surface water bodies. In surface water, increased salt levels leads to oxygen depletion.

      Philippe Van Cappellen, a professor and researcher at the University of Waterloo, says municipalities must monitor their road sale use and strive to reduce amounts by 25 per cent over the next five years.

      Some contractors have tried alternative forms of de-icing agents, including beet juice.

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