A city worker spreads salt onto a snowy sidewalk near Ferguson Avenue in Hamilton in this file photo. An industry group representing snow and ice contractors would like new rules to reduce over-salting in winter. An industry group representing contractors who salt icy roads and parking lots is joining environmentalists in asking for new regulations to protect ecosystems and waterways from salinated runoff.
"Invariably what happens is the snow and ice contractor uses way more salt than they need to because they are fearful, or the property manager puts pressure on them to use more salt than they need to," Salemi said.Joe Salemi, Landscape Ontario’s executive director, left, shakes hands with Premier Doug Ford on Oct. 24, 2023. The group was at Queen's Park to lobby for better regulation and reduced liability for snow and ice clearing contractors.
"Oversalting puts our natural environment at risk, and it will continue unless legislative changes are made to regulate the industry and address the liability concerns," states "For example, data from the open-source Ontario Data Catalogue chloride levels in rivers and streams in urban areas often exceeds Canadian Water Quality Guideline of 120 milligrams per litre... and are increasing," it adds. "Drinking water intakes, even in large lakes like Lake Ontario, have reached 30 mg/l chloride and are increasing.
"It's a function of how much salt has been going on the roads," he said, noting he is aware of the liability issues contractors face.He said the smaller creeks near Burlington's border with Hamilton, such as Spencer Creek and Grindstone Creek, as well as Tuck Creek in Burlington, are all dealing with elevated salt levels.
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