Salt Storm(starting) 2012

scotto

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#81
As Tuesday night approached (January 10th), storm warnings with high winds were being reported on the weather channel. I watched the blue boxes and their contents fly up our street and scatter everywhere, winds from out of the west were hitting 90kms and the salt piles were open.
I expected to see a lot of salt all my property and vehicles, but heavy rains washed much of it away and a film of salt was left on everything. I could see this by just looking through any window in my house or car.


I took a ride over to Eastport Dr. but along the way I took a shot of Knapman Ave where the open salt pile could be seen over the highway barrier.


The salt pile closest to the Beach Community was open on both ends;




Wider angle;



On to January 29th, two piles have the south ends uncovered and have been that way for a couple of weeks.
 

scotto

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#82
As I left my house on February 2nd I noticed that a relatively clean vehicle from the night before was covered in salt;


I then headed over to Eastport Drive to take a few pictures, as I got closer to the salt piles I could see that MTO had a high wind warning for the Skyway Bridge and that the waves in the harbour were heading south west. There were two piles open as they have been for a few weeks now. This is closest pile to the Beach Community and it look like the wind has damaged the cover.




This is the pile close to the harbour and the south end is open, the whole cover is being lifted by the high winds.





As travelled along the QEW today (Feb. 4th), there is once again a high wind warning for the Skyway and the pile with the damaged cover from two days ago is now completely uncovered. Winds were out of the west.

 

scotto

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#83
This photo was taken on February 8th and as you can see one pile is partly covered and the other has no cover at all. The night before I had brought my garbage and recycle bins back in from the street due to the high winds (out of the west).



The next day shows still no effort to cover the two open piles.





The same pile as above and almost a week later (Feb 13th) and the local news were reporting "powerful winds" the night before.


From the same day showing the pile closest to the harbour being quickly removed to be loaded onto trucks, you can just see the loader in the middle of the photo.
At the time of the picture, the cover was flapping around due to the wind.


Same pile two days later and it is pretty well down to its base. One huge pile left.
 

scotto

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#84
A very nice Family Day long weekend with moderate winds out of the west and last pile of salt was left uncovered on the south end. At the time of this picture, the cover was flapping around due to the winds.
This open end is directly across from Rembe Ave., but depending on the direction and speed of the wind, the could impact a number of properties.



Leaving my house on February 25th I noticed once again that windows have a white covering on them, salt? I looked over at Eastport and the last large pile was left open on the south end for the entire weekend with no one in sight.



Looking at the same pile on Monday (27th), the winds have move the covering and another opening on the Beach community side.

 

scotto

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#85
On to March 3rd and a vehicle left by a friend for a couple days is covered in salt (which he commented on when he returned). Photo was taken from the inside of the vehicle.


Checking the pile on Eastport and as expected, it is open.



On March 8th, the severe winds out of the west knocked a transport truck over closing the Skyway Bridge in both directions.


With the winds still very high, I took this picture and you can see the salt coming off the pile;


The ship's dark background shows the salt heading for the Beach Community.


Last one for March 8th, at least one of our neighbours cares if our community is impacted, Stelco was spraying their coal piles during the high winds.

 

scotto

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#86
It begins again, the Port has allowed more salt mountains to be placed on Eastport Dr. very near our community.

From today (May 28th) with weather forecasts of storms heading our way tonight.


A day (May 29th) with moderate winds out of the west and a vessel is on Eastport letting go a load of salt, the winds reached 55kms.





The next day I checked my car and it has a coating of salt that sticks to the surface, almost like sandpaper. I checked many of the side streets and seen the same issue.


I checked Eastport Dr. and the piles are starting to be covered up.




Moving to today (June 2nd), my vehicle and many more along the side streets have a heavy layer of what looks to be salt covering them.
I talked with a few residents and they are not happy about this.




 

scotto

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#88
How Canada's addiction to road salt is ruining everything

Bringing down bridges, melting cars, poisoning rivers; it's hard to think of something salt isn't ruining

Below is a repost of an article that first ran in January, 2017. Since it was originally published, road salt has dissolved hundreds of kilograms of automotive steel, chapped untold numbers of dog’s paws and done at least $5 billion damage to Canadian infrastructure.

It’s doing billions of dollars in damage to cars

In 2015, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pegged salt corrosion as the culprit in thousands of vehicle brake failures. That same year, Transport Canada issued a recall of 3,000 BMWs and Minis that had been parked at the Port of Halifax during the 2015 ice storm. But it wasn’t the ice that caused the recall; salt de-icing had damaged the vehicles so badly that they couldn’t steer properly. Way back in 1975, Transport Canada estimated that de-icing salts were causing $200 in damage per car, per year — the equivalent of $854 in 2017. Corrosion-resistant coatings have improved in the interim, but even when one-quarter that amount is applied to the roughly 14 million registered vehicles in Ontario and Quebec, the result is an extra $3 billion in vehicle depreciation each year.
It’s ravaging our bridges and highways

Crews are already at work on a $4.2-billion replacement for Montreal’s Champlain Bridge. The original, built in 1962, was brought to the edge of collapse in only 50 years because of salt corrosion. Salt brine seeping into concrete dramatically speeds up the corrosion of rebar within — and is heavily responsible for the poor state of bridges and highway overpasses across central Canada. Salt was a key contributor to the deadly 2006 collapse of the De La Concorde bridge in Laval, killing six people. The heavy salt diet on Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway is also one of the main reasons the elevated highway is often raining chunks of concrete; as rebar corrodes, the concrete around it crumbles. Tellingly, a series of 1930s-era stone carvings around Toronto’s Air Canada Centre have been permanently ruined by salty runoff from the nearby expressway.

Read complete article;
http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/how-canadas-addiction-to-road-salt-is-ruining-everything
 

scotto

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#89
Road salt is harmful, so why do we use it?

Sent in by member Opie;


By: Jamie Summers and robin valleau
Posted: 01/9/2018 3:00 AM

Marshes, streams and lakes lie alongside many of the roads and highways that zigzag across North America. Plants and animals inhabit these water bodies and can be exposed to many of the substances we put on those roads, including road salt.

Rock salt helps keep roads safe when winter storms hit, reducing winter road accidents. But it can also have serious, negative effects on aquatic ecosystems.
At high concentrations, salt can be fatal to some aquatic animals. Salt can also change the way the water mixes and lead to the formation of salty pockets near the bottom of lakes, creating biological dead zones.

When the weather takes a wintry turn, many cities and municipalities in North America rely on salt to deice their roads. This rock salt is similar to table salt, made up of sodium and chloride, but coarser. It dissolves quickly on the road, leaving the chloride to enter nearby waters through runoff and leaching. In fact, almost all chloride ions from the road salt eventually find their way into waterways downstream.

At low concentrations, chloride is relatively benign but as concentrations rise, it can be toxic to aquatic wildlife, including the plankton and fish that inhabit inland lakes. These ecological changes affect water quality.

In salt water

One study of North American lakes found that as little as one per cent of the land area within 500 metres of the lake had to be paved (or otherwise impervious) for there to be an increased risk of becoming saltier over the longterm.

Basically, a little development can lead to a lot of salt entering a water body. About 27 per cent of large lakes in the United States are at least one per cent developed along their shores.

A recent study suggests that salt concentrations in many U.S. lakes will fall outside the bounds necessary for healthy aquatic plants, animals and microorganisms — and for good-tasting drinking water — by 2050.

Canada will likely face the same issues. Depending on the severity of the winter, approximately five million tonnes of road salt are applied annually to Canadian roads. Many municipalities in southern Ontario use more than 100,000 tonnes per year.

Road salt applications in Canada began in the 1950s. To fully understand how these increasing chloride concentrations have affected lake ecosystems, we must look back in time. But there’s little long-term data about these lakes for us to look at.

Instead, we examine past environmental conditions by coring into the lake bottoms and using the information preserved in the lake sediments.

A window into the past

Clay, silt, sand, pollen, chemicals and other substances from the surrounding environment accumulate slowly — and continuously — in layers at the bottom of lakes. That sediment provides a natural archive of past conditions. For example, a layer with a lot of charcoal may indicate increased forest fires in the region.

Scientists use the information preserved in this archive to understand how environmental conditions have changed over long periods of time — from years to centuries.

The Muskoka region of central Ontario — known for its lakes, rivers and cottages — has been applying road salt since the 1950s. The remains of algae and microscopic animals (called zooplankton) contained within the region’s lake sediments show us that changes have occurred in these lakes, coinciding with the onset of road salt applications in the region.

There are more salt-tolerant zooplankton species now than there were before road salt was widely used. The effect of that shift isn’t fully understood. But we do know that when things change at the lower levels of the food web, the effects may be felt through the whole ecosystem.

Consider, for example, a fish that has become adapted to eating one type of zooplankton. If all of a sudden it is replaced by another type — perhaps one that is larger — it may run into trouble.

Chloride can be toxic to zooplankton. At lower concentrations it can have sub-lethal effects — weakening individuals and raising rates of egg mortality. Fish are generally more tolerant to increasing salt concentrations, but the longer they are exposed to high chloride levels, the more toxic it is. Many young fish feed on plankton and if they lose their food source, they will not thrive.

Brine alternatives

Some communities in North America are looking for environmentally safe alternatives to road salt.

Beet wastewater — left over from sugar beet processing — cheese brine, pickle juice and potato juice are some of the unconventional de-icers being tested.

The carbohydrates or sugars in beet wastewater make it more effective at lower temperatures than salt water or brine alone, lowering the melting point of the ice to below -20 C from -10 C — and reducing the amount of chloride applied to the road.

But there are downsides. Some communities dislike the smell of the beet wastewater, which people have likened to soy sauce, molasses or stale coffee. It also adds sugar to aquatic ecosystems, which may encourage bacterial growth.

Instead of using salt and salt additives, some engineers are experimenting with roads that clear themselves of snow and ice. Early tests have suggested that solar panels could replace asphalt to melt ice and eliminate the need for road salt, by heating water in pipes embedded in the road.

Others are looking for more effective ways to use rock salt — and reduce the amount that enters water ecosystems. A significant portion of rock salt bounces off the road when it’s applied so trucks tend to apply more than necessary. Wetting the pavement and applying brine solutions help the salt adhere to the road, meaning cities and municipalities can cut back on how much they use.

Scientists are also helping to figure out how much salt our lakes can handle, which species are at risk and which lakes are most sensitive to road salt exposure to find a way to keep humans safe on the road and plants and animals safe in our lakes, streams and wetlands.

Jamie Summers is a post-doctoral fellow and Robin Valleau is a MSc student at Queen's University in Ontario.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.

Whole article;
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/o...why-do-we-use-it-468412143.html#have-your-say
 

scotto

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#90
The increased salinity of waterways in the north east is putting fish, frogs and microscopic zooplankton at risk.


By Michael CaseyThe Associated Press

Mon., Jan. 29, 2018


CONCORD, N.H.—When roads turn into ice rinks, consider trying beet juice, molasses, and even beer or cheese waste to make them safer. So say experts who fear road salt is starting to take a toll on the nation’s waterways, putting everything from fish and frogs to microscopic zooplankton at risk.

Tossed onto sidewalks and dumped onto highways, salt for decades has provided the cheapest and most effective way to cut down on traffic accidents and pedestrian falls during winter storms. But researchers cite mounting evidence that those tons of sodium chloride crystals — more than 20 million nationwide each year — are increasing the salinity of hundreds of lakes, especially in the Northeast and Midwest.

“There has been a sense of alarm on the impacts of road salt on organisms and ecosystems,” said Victoria Kelly, a road salt expert at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York. “We’ve seen increasing concentrations in river water, lakes, streams. Then, scientists started asking the question: What is going to happen to the organisms living in freshwater bodies and what will happen to the freshwater bodies as a whole?”


Believed to be first used in the 1940s in New Hampshire, salt became the go-to de-icing agent as cities expanded, highways were built and motorists came to expect clear roads. More than a million truckloads a year are deployed in ice-prone climes, most heavily in the Northeast and Midwest.

But many state and local agencies are seeking ways to reduce salt use as its environmental impacts are becoming more apparent.

They have turned to high-tech equipment to spread salt more efficiently, better weather forecasting to time their salting, and liquefied organic additives that help salt stick to pavement. That reduces salt use by preventing it from washing away immediately.

Agencies from New Jersey to North Dakota are using a mixture that includes beet juice; New Hampshire and Maine use one with molasses. Highway departments also have turned to beer waste, pickle brine and, in at least one Wisconsin county, cheese brine.

Adding salt to the environment does have negative impacts, but for those of us in the Northeast, especially in rural states, where driving is the predominant way of getting around, we need mobility,” said Jonathan Rubin, director of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and lead author on a 2010 report on the cost and benefits of salting Maine roads.

“In my opinion, we are always going to be using some degree of road salt,” he said. “The question is, can we use less?”

Salt corrosion already causes billions of dollars in damage each year to cars, roads and bridges — and now there are growing signs it’s making freshwater ecosystems saltier. In the past 50 years, chloride concentrations in some lakes and rivers quadrupled and, in a few, increased a hundredfold.

Last year, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that more than 40 per cent of 327 lakes examined had experienced long-term salinization, and that thousands more were at a risk. Researchers also estimated nearly 50 lakes in the study, including small ones in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Rhode Island, could surpass the Environmental Protection Agency’s chloride threshold concentration by 2050, potentially harming aquatic life.

Experiments at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute aquatic lab in Troy, New York, have found that higher salt concentrations reduced growth rates in rainbow trout and decreased the abundance of zooplankton 7/8 — tiny animals or larvae that are critical to the aquatic food chain and play a role in keeping lakes and streams clean.

Other studies have shown that salinization of lakes and streams reduces the numbers of fish and amphibians, kills off plants, and alters the diversity of these freshwater ecosystems.

“At high road salt concentrations, you can see reductions in growth, reduction in the diversity of species within a system and you can also see effects on reproduction of certain species,” said William Hintz, of Rensselaer Polytechnic.

Despite such environmental concerns, Caleb Dobbins, New Hampshire’s highway maintenance engineer, doesn’t envision salt being replaced anytime soon by substitutes, such as magnesium acetate, which he says are 30 times more expensive and have their own environmental challenges.

“Everybody is looking throughout the world,” he said. “Nobody is finding that silver bullet.”
Read More;

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/...taking-toll-on-waterways-us-experts-warn.html

More;
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/...lt-is-contaminating-north-americas-lakes.html
 

scotto

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#91
If you have been on Eastport Dr.at all this month, you would of notice the high volume of trucks that are transporting salt, so much salt has been trucked out that there is only two piles left and one is going down quick. Hopefully they clear it all out and don't ship anymore in and stop impacting our community.

From February 12th, the second last pile.

 

scotto

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#92
One pile left that is going down quick, it was also left uncovered for the long weekend and some high winds. There was salt all over my vehicles Saturday morning.
I called the MOE today and let them know that we were impacted.
From February 16th.


This is what is left of the last pile as the salt company trucks out at a very high rate. Seems to be endless trucks of salt on Eastport Dr.
Photo taken February 27th.

 

scotto

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#93
I had big hopes that I wouldn't have to post salt pictures anymore as the salt piles were completely removed at the beginning of March, but the Port and the salt company brought in another ship load of salt last Saturday during one of the biggest storms in memory. Lucky for our community, the winds during this storm were out of the east and any impact went out to the harbour.
I checked today and seen that the pile was finally covered.

 
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scotto

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#94
Move forward to today, August 5th 2018, I left my house this morning and notice a dusting of salt all over my vehicles. I checked the one pile on Eastport and it has been uncovered for the August long weekend, another dusting of free salt for our properties.
I had just washed my car yesterday, so it was clean.
Open pile on Eastport;


A fairly new pickup truck on Grafton Ave.



Another vehicle on Grandville Ave.



And one of my cars;


August 6th
A couple pictures from this morning of salt being unloaded in light winds, about 3pm a storm moved in and winds hit 70km out of the west.




Environment Hamilton sent in these two and commented on the winds


 

scotto

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#95
Had these two pictures passed on to me from last Monday's storm, as the winds started to pick up (they hit 70km) a cloud of white (salt) passed through Lagoon Ave, then a cloud of black (coal dust) followed.





If you have any photos from last Monday, please send them in to hbcf@cogeco.ca

You can also report fallouts to the MOE

New spills line and after hours;
1-866-663-8477

Direct line to the person taking care of our community;
(289) 339-0849
General Line;
(905) 521-7640
 

Opie

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#97
Thanks for the link Scott

get your camera ready to take a few pictures, todays cold front moving in is going to be pushing some strong winds from the west. I saw on CHCH that around noon they said to expect the winds to really kick up with 70 - 90 km winds. The salt will be blowing for sure.
 
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scotto

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#98
Thanks for the link Scott

get your camera ready to take a few pictures, todays cold front moving in is going to be pushing some strong winds from the west. I saw on CHCH that around noon they said to expect the winds to really kick up with 70 - 90 km winds. The salt will be blowing for sure.
The pile has been covered since the last ship came in and added another long wall of salt, but my neighbours and I have still had a couple of days a white substance all over our properties. I did ask the MOE to check the how well the covers seal, so yes, this could be one of those days where we could get impacted again.

This is the covered pile taken on September 9th;



On the morning of October 10th, the Port had an unlisted salt delivery. The original pile is almost completely moved over beside the covered pile.





The salt company stacks the pile with this conveyer belt machine.


A loaded truck travelling through our community with an uncovered load of salt.
 
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scotto

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#99
Trucks being loaded today (October 11th) from the uncovered section of the salt pile. We will see how long this pile is left uncovered.


Just to show the sheer size of these piles, check how small the worker in this picture looks compared to the pile.


This photo is from last Friday (October 12th), the tarp is blowing in the wind as workers load salt into waiting trucks. This pile was left open all weekend and there were blustery winds including gust up to 75km last night out of the west.

 
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scotto

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Today (October 17th) the pile was open and MOE stopped the loading of salt.
This picture shows the pile open with no loading and notice how the tarp is blowing around in 65 plus kilometer winds out of the west.


Hardest hit was North Park Ave, which is directly east of the open pile, two pictures of vehicles on that street.




Just show how much damage these open piles can cause, three pictures from my property.
All my casement windows with hinges below the seal have just disintegrated to the point that they are gone, notice the hinge above the seal is perfectly fine.


The cover over my barbeque is rusting away and is about five years old.


My last barbeque was replaced due to rust, I spent good money on a replacement (Neapolitan) only the see the new one start to rust as well.
This was a quality barbeque.
 
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