Over-UseofRoadSaltandLimitedLiabilityLegislationWhat’stheissue?Morede-icingsaltsthanareneededareappliedeachwinterinMinnesotato‘makesure’roads,parkinglotsandsidewalksareclearoficeandsnow.Concernsaboutpublicsafetyandliabilityforpersonalinjuryandpropertydamagearethemainreasonsover-saltingoccur.
MnDot,andcountyandcityapplicatorsarealreadymakingeffortstodecreasesaltuseonpublicroads.Commercialcontractorsfacemarketplacedynamicsthatmakeitdifficulttoimplementsalt-reductionpracticesforfearofincreasedliabilityintheirmarketplace.Itmakessensetoonlyapplywhatsaltisneededforpublicsafety,andavoidextra,whichonlycontributestochloridepollution.Whyisitimportant?Monitoringshowsthatdeicingsaltsarethe#1sourceofthechloridethatispermanentlyaccumulatingin
Minnesota’sgroundwaterandlakes.Chloridecontaminatesgroundwateranddrinkingwatersupplies,damagesvehiclesandinfrastructure,soilandplants,petsandwildlife.EspeciallyvulnerablearenativeMinnesotafishandinvertebrates.Thereisnofeasiblewaytoremovechloridefromwater.Chloridepollutionisforever.Whatwe’resupporting.Webelieveit’simportanttostopoversaltingandstartfindingwaystoreduceourdependenceonsalts.Wesupport
1)legislationthatwillprovidealimitedliabilityexemptionfrompersonalinjuryandpropertydamagetocommercialapplicatorsandtheircustomerswhenapplicatorstakevoluntarytraining,passcertification,anddocumentuseofbestpracticesformaintainingsafewintersurfaces,2)continuousfundingforstatewideSmartSaltTrainingforpublicandprivateapplicators,and3)chloridereductionasapriorityforallstateagencies,becauseroadsaltisthe#1,butnottheonlycauseofchloridepollution.
Pleaseusesaltscarefully:Oneteaspoonofsaltpermanentlypollutesfivegallonsofwater.
HowwillLimitedLiabilityhelp?
Limitedliabilityisgoodforbusinessitofferscommercialapplicatorsandpropertyownersprotectionfrompersonalinjuryandpropertydamagelawsuits,whileprovidingvoluntaryincentivesforthemarketplacetosupportsalt-reductionbestpracticesandmaintainpublicsafety,somethingmanycommercialapplicatorssupport.Limitedliabilityisgoodforcleanwaterbecauseitreducesthetotalamountofsaltused,particularlyreducingtheextra‘makesure’amountsthatdonotmeltice,butjustpollute.Itgetsbothcommercialandpublicapplicatorsusingbestpracticestandardsandworkingtowardsalt-reductiongoals.ManyMinnesotansarenotawareofthethreatthatchloridepresentstothewaterstheylove.Educatingapplicatorswillincreaseawarenessabouttheproperdeiceruseincludinghowtohireapplicatorsthatusebestpractices.Whatexpensiveproblemswillthiswillprevent?
• LossofrevenueandpleasurefromdecliningfishingandrecreationinMinnesota• Prematureagingofinfrastructuresuchasbridges,roads,buildings,landscaping• Contaminatedgroundanddrinkingwater-nopracticaltreatmentoptionsexist• Overspendingonsalt,it’sapplicationandcleanup-wastefuluseofresources
Whatexamplesdowehave?
• SimilarlegislationinNewHampshire(2013)andIllinois(2016)• BillHistoryinMinnesota
o 2016SF3298:Hawj,Bonoff,MartyandHF2594Kahn,Erhardto 2017HF1016Hausman
WhereisMinnesotawithchloridenow?Sincethe1990’swintermaintenanceprofessionshavebeenusingincreasingamountofsaltthatisaccumulatinginMinnesota’swaters.
• Statewide:47chlorideimpairmentsstatewideandelevatedchloridein30%wells(MPCA)
• TwinCities:39impairments,19lakes,16steamsand4wetlands,30%ofmonitoringwellstestedinshallowaquifersexceedchronicstandard.(MPCA)
• 365,000tonsofroadsaltisappliedannuallyintheTwinCities(MPCA);78%staysintheTwinCitieswaters(Stefanetal.2008).
• 81%increaseinchlorideatHastingDam1985-2014(MCEAStCroixWatershedResearchStation)
WhoisStopOverSalting(SOS)?StopOverSalting(SOS)isagroupofMasterWaterStewardswhofoundcommongroundintheirawarenessofchloridepollution.TheyadvocateforstrategiesthatreduceoversaltingandmaintainsafesurfacesonMinnesota’sroads,parkinglots,[email protected].
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