Salt Storm(starting) 2012

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
This photo was taken late Sunday (October 21st). The tarp is moving around in moderate winds, but this pile has been left open all weekend with all kinds of bad weather including heavy rain and high winds.



Complaints to the MOE resulted in the pile being covered up, would of been nice if it was done last Friday before the weekend.
 
Last edited:

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
I noticed a large amount of a salt looking blotches all the my vehicles last Saturday and this happen again today, I checked the piles over on Eastport and they were covered but I called the MOE anyway to check.
It seems the Port or their tenant are cleaning up old salt piles that have been trucked away with water from the Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) which is really a toxic waste dump.
So now we are getting salt mixed with water from the CDF.

 

Opie

Registered User
Staff member
Mar 1, 2017
318
119
43
The Beach Strip
Hi Scott

came across this article today you may find a tad interesting, regarding Ontario's Environmental Commissoner's report on our water supply and contamination regarding salt ! Wonder what her thoughts would be about having our large salt shaker beside the water's edge ??


https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/salt-a-worry-in-lake-ramsey-new-report-warns


Salt a worry in Lake Ramsey, new report warns
Fuel, fertilizer and sewage are some of the main pollutants that imperil Sudbury's most important lake
Jim Moodie The Sudbury Star
More from Jim Moodie The Sudbury Star

Published on: November 15, 2018 | Last Updated: November 15, 2018 1:40 AM EST


Ramsey Lake. Gino Donato/Sudbury Star
ShareAdjustCommentPrint

File photo/The Canadian PressEnvironmental Commissioner of Ontario Dianne Saxe is shown in this file photo at the Ontario Legislature, in Toronto earlier this year. Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Lake Ramsey is highlighted in a recent report from Ontario’s environmental commissioner as an example of a water supply threatened by salt overload.
The city’s signature water body — and major drinking water source — is also mentioned in a chapter concerning phosphate-driven algal blooms, which have caused multiple closures of swimming beaches in recent years.
The 2018 report, titled Back to Basics, argues there is “much more work to do” when it comes to water quality — even for communities like Sudbury where drinking water is protected by the post-Walkerton standards of the Clean Water Act.
The annual state-of-the-environment release, published by commissioner Dianne Saxe, cites fuel, fertilizer and sewage as some of the main pollutants that imperil a lake like Ramsey.
It also focuses extensively, however, on a substance that might seem superficially benign but can also wreak havoc on the environment and human health: Salt.
An oversupply of salt, derived mostly from de-icing of winter pavement, is “toxic to aquatic plants and animals in many ways,” the report states. It can kill organisms, for instance, and “change the weight of lake water enough to block the normal mixing process, which is essential to bring oxygen into the deeper, cooler water that fish like lake trout need.”
Salty water can also dissolve the bonds between heavy metals and sediments, making the metals more harmful, according to the ECO. And it can be “risky for humans to drink.”
Rising levels of salt have been documented across the province, Saxe writes, including at Ramsey Lake — enough so that the Greater Sudbury Watershed Alliance was motivated to hold a public meeting earlier this year and produce a discussion paper on the subject.
Speaking at the February session, Living With Lakes director John Gunn described salinity in Ramsey as “a challenging time bomb.”
He said too much salt will kill off water-filtering organisms like daphnia, create oxygen-depleted pockets of water, and “trigger algal changes that are going to be troublesome.”
The alliance blames widened roads, bigger parking lots and a lack of alternative de-icing methods for more salt being flushed into Ramsey and other lakes.
The environmental commissioner says in her report that climate change also has a role in the chloride spike, as extreme weather generally means more salt will be applied on roads and sidewalks.
“The biggest single users are the Ministry of Transportation and large municipalities, but private applications on parking lots, driveways and walkways spread a huge amount of road salt, often with less precision,” the report states.
The problem will likely just get worse unless steps are taken to reduce salt use or find alternatives, according to Saxe.
To date, however, the province hasn’t shown much interest in exploring greener options. While Calgary has embraced beet brine as a less-toxic de-icer (it also bonds better to roads, apparently), Ontario “has not made a major commitment to research into alternatives” — mostly because they might cost more, the commissioner says.
But the price tag on traditional road salt doesn’t really reflect the full cost, as it doesn’t take into account the “negative impacts on infrastructure and the environment,” the report argues.
One of the ECO’s recommendations is that MTO and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks “compare the cost-effectiveness of de-icing alternatives in terms of both the cost of the product, and of that alternative’s negative impacts on infrastructure, on the environment and on drinking water supplies.”
Saxe also believes municipalities should be compelled to adopt salt management plans and review and update them regularly.
“Some may not have yet taken measures known to reduce salt contamination, such as installing domes over salt storage piles,” she notes in the report. “Many others are not using up-to-date technologies and best practices, and are therefore causing more salt contamination than is necessary for public safety.”
The biggest opportunity to reduce salt damage “probably occurs on parking lots and walkways, which are often one of the worst sources of road salt runoff,” the report points out.
Research undertaken in the Lake Simcoe area showed runoff from parking lots was “four times saltier than ocean water” — in other words, very toxic.
One of the problems with reducing salt use, however, is the fear, among both municipalities and businesses, of being sued in the event of an ice-related accident.
Saxe said that can be addressed by liability relief, as has occurred in New Hampshire. Here, landowners whose staff or contractors have completed a Green SnowPro program — which provides training on snow-management tools and techniques that improve safety and protect drinking water sources — are shielded by state law from big litigation payouts.
The environmental commissioner argues Ontario should do something similar, recommending the government “adopt a law that provides liability protection for landowners and contractors who use up-to-date technologies and snow management practices to achieve road safety with the minimum amount of salt.”
The ECO further calls on the province to “require all contractors retained to provide winter maintenance on property that is publicly owned or open to the public (e.g., public parking lots) to be certified in the proper use of salt.”
In general, Saxe said more vigilance is required in monitoring lakes and enforcing the rules that already do apply in Ontario.
“The province has had laws against water pollution in place for more than 60 years,” the commissioner stated. “These laws have worked to reduce many kinds of water pollution, but population growth, urbanization, agricultural changes and climate change are eroding their effectiveness.”
Algae-befouled beaches would be one example of our failure to protect our freshwater gems; a creek or lake so salty it can’t support a freshwater plant or fish would be another.
“Our environment is sending us a message,” the commissioner says.
jmoodie@postmedia.com
 
Likes: scotto

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
Hi Scott

came across this article today you may find a tad interesting, regarding Ontario's Environmental Commissoner's report on our water supply and contamination regarding salt ! Wonder what her thoughts would be about having our large salt shaker beside the water's edge ??
What would she think about having all that salt beside her house, good find!


From November 25th, the Salt company and the Port have stopped inbound ships from listing their location on AIS, this pile appeared late last week.
I will have to watch the ships a little better.

AIS https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-79.2/centery:43.2/zoom:10


We have been getting some light dusting of salt on our properties and I have asked the MOE to check this pile for proper coverage.

On December 12th this pile was moved over with another pile, this took a few days and the winds were mostly moderate out of the west.


December 13th;
 
Last edited:

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
From the Waterkeeper's Site
_________________________________________________
News
The price of salt: How road salts are affecting our Great Lakes

Published on December 24, 2018 by Elise Mackie.

Around Lake Ontario, winter-weather forecasts bring out road salt. This means crunchy sidewalks, dog booties and salt-stained shoes. It also means severe impacts for Lake Ontario’s watershed and its aquatic life. When rain or snowmelt wash road salt (sodium chloride; Na-Cl) into storm sewers and water ways it causes a damaging spike in salinity.
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...76e3/1545170466718/roadsaltwinterde-icing.jpg" alt="The image was taken by    markgranitz   . It illustrates the typical overuse of road salt on the sidewalks." />

The image was taken by markgranitz. It illustrates the typical overuse of road salt on the sidewalks.
Impact on Aquatic Life
In Ontario, we use road salt to de-ice sidewalks, roads and parking lots, and to improve safety during winter temperatures. However, it’s used in excess more often than not and is turning freshwater into saltwater. The salty waters can get into groundwater supplies, kill sensitive species, and ultimately degrades ecosystems. Spots in Ontario have become so salty that there have been sightings of salt-water animals in the freshwater creeks. Reports of saltwater blue crabs living in Mimico Creek is just one troubling case that illustrates the extent of sodium chloride pollution in watersheds of Lake Ontario.
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...990da417/1545442703992/saltwaterbluecrabs.jpg" alt="A Blue Crab spotted on the shores of Lake Ontario. Photo by    Emma Lagunday" />

A Blue Crab spotted on the shores of Lake Ontario. Photo by Emma Lagunday
As the salt makes the freshwater livable for saltwater species, freshwater species are increasingly at risk from spikes in sodium chloride levels in winter months. Research shows the salinization of freshwater causes increased parasitism on the North Leopard Frog, a native amphibian to Ontario. In salmon species, sodium chloride stops growth at the most important life stage, which corresponds with drops in salmon population sizes.
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...1023a90/1545170553901/NorthernLeopardFrog.jpg" alt="This is the Northern Leopard Frog native to the Great Lakes are and Southern Ontario. The photo was taken by    ~Sage~" />

This is the Northern Leopard Frog native to the Great Lakes are and Southern Ontario. The photo was taken by ~Sage~
In the worst cases, research shows salinization of freshwater leads to mortality in small aquatic species like freshwater shrimp, mussels, and insects. Freshwater ecosystems rely on these animals because they feed the larger animals like fishes and birds. When the populations the small aquatic animals drop as sodium chloride levels increase, the population levels of larger aquatic animals also drop. This causes major changes to the food web and damages the overall aquatic ecosystem. All-around road salts cause permanent changes to the aquatic ecosystem, including tremendous losses in biodiversity.

How much road salt is enough?
In Ontario, the solution right now is to use less road salt on driveways, sidewalks, and paved parking lots. The over-application of road salt is common and unnecessary. The illustrations below show the average rate at which the Ministry of Transport applies to roads (top left) and the over-application typically seen in parking lots (bottom right).
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...42/roadsaltapplicationministryoftransport.png" alt="These illustrations come from a recent    presentation    by Tim Van Seters on the Lake Ontario Evening November 22, 2018 titled Salting the Earth: The Unintended Impacts and What We Can do to Prevent Them." />

These illustrations come from a recent presentation by Tim Van Seters on the Lake Ontario Evening November 22, 2018 titled Salting the Earth: The Unintended Impacts and What We Can do to Prevent Them.
Most of the public is simply unaware of the impacts that road salts have on the local environment. Plus road salts are really cheap and there is a general lack of application protocol and enforcement. These factors often leave us prone to excessive application during the freezing winter months.
Every winter the topic of roads salts appears on a variety of blogs and media outlets. Lots of research continues to look for alternatives to road salts, including beet brine which is currently being used in Calgary. To learn more about the impacts of road salt check out this blog on the Great Lakes Guide - The Price of Salt...
Actions you can take:
If you can avoid use salt altogether, great! If you must use road salts, here are some easy tips to reduce your use and protect our lakes:
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...22d911fdcd64d/1545443610779/shovelingsnow.jpg" alt="Photo by    Stephen Depolo   ." />

Photo by Stephen Depolo.
  • Shovel first. Shovel all the snow you can. You may find you won’t need that much salt at all.
  • Be mindful of the amount of salt you use: 20 grams is approximately one handful of salt.
  • Use salt on ice only.
  • Avoid applying salt near plants as you could heavily damage them.
  • Be mindful of the salt that collects on your car. Washing your car can lead to salt flowing off into a storm drain. Limit the frequency you wash your car in winter and “Skip The Wash, Save The Lake”.
Skip The Wash, Save The Lake
Salt harms Lake Ontario and every winter. In response, Toronto Honda and Toronto Kia launched a campaign in collaboration with Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. Skip the Wash, Save the Lake, reduces water pollution and the number of car washes at both dealerships. Toronto Honda and Toronto Kia donate to Lake Ontario Waterkeeper for every wash skipped. Donate now and you too can support the cause!
<img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5266049fe4b08e763cc00c4b/t/5c1d9970898583352e1aab96/1545443795965/Skip%2Bthe%2BWash%2C%2BSave%2Bthe%2BLake%2B-%2BCase%2Bpage.png" alt="Image by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper" />


Image by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper

http://www.waterkeeper.ca/blog/2018/12/18/a-salty-lake-ontario-and-aquatic-life
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
Took my car to the car wash yesterday and today (January 16th) it was covered with a substance looking like salt, checking the salt piles on Eastport showed them to be uncovered at one end and tarp was blowing around in the winds.


It is Super Bowl weekend and the salt pile has been left open for the whole weekend, winds hit over 45 km out of the WSW.

Notice the tarp still blowing around in the wind.
Feb02.JPG
 
Likes: Opie

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
Once again another dusting of salt on our just washed vehicles last Friday (February 8th), a visit to Eastport shows the pile open and loader filling trucks. Notice the dust during the loading.
At 3am the winds hit 55km out of the WSW.
The pile was left open for the second weekend in a row.
Feb08.JPG
Feb08b.JPG


Checking on the next day the main tarp was completely blown off leaving only the secondary tarp.
Feb09.JPG

Checking Eastport last Friday 15th, the pile was getting smaller but wide open to winds, it did get covered up the next day but the tarp blew off again over the Family Day weekend.
Feb15.JPG
 
Last edited:
Likes: Opie

Opie

Registered User
Staff member
Mar 1, 2017
318
119
43
The Beach Strip
So Scott,

any bets on your beloved salt mound, that it will be securely tarped before Sundays storm. Winds are expected to be WSW with gusts 80 km +.
That would mean anyone living from Rembe Ave / Harry's Pub to the lift bridge in the potential fallout zone !
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
So Scott,

any bets on your beloved salt mound, that it will be securely tarped before Sundays storm. Winds are expected to be WSW with gusts 80 km +.
That would mean anyone living from Rembe Ave / Harry's Pub to the lift bridge in the potential fallout zone !
I was hoping that it was completely gone, but any residual dust will impact our community. It would also be nice if the pile never comes back.

This is what is left of the pile as of Saturday (Feb 23), most of the pile is covered but as Opie stated there are some high winds out of the west coming.

Feb23.JPG
 
Last edited:

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
Today the Skyway has a severe wind warning and the pile is still mostly covered with some salt exposed.
Wind warnings for the Skyway in the Spec;
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/...rlington-skyway-traffic-as-wind-gusts-worsen/
Feb24.JPG


As expected, the tarp on the salt pile did not hold with these high winds and there was a lot of salt impact on our community.
Feb25.JPG


Once again I was hoping that the Port and the Salt companies would give our community a break this year and move the salt piles away from us, but on June 25 ships starting piling up the salt again.
Pictures from June 25th and 26th show two ships unloading.

June25.JPG
June26b.JPG
June26.JPG


More salt being move on July 4th and a picture of Knapman Ave showing how big these piles are, easily seen over the highway barrier.
July 4.JPG
July 4b.JPG
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
The salt companies haven't had any ship arrivals since last June, a CSL ship was delayed but came in yesterday and started to unloading around 430pm, notice the misting machine below the ship's boom, it is not doing much.
Nov1.JPG


Next morning at 8am, the temporary tarp is almost on except for the north end, by 4pm the pile is covered.

Nov2.JPG
Nov2b.JPG


Another load of salt was brought into our community today thanks to the Port Authority, hopefully the winds stay down.
Nov19.JPG
Nov19b.JPG
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
I found that my car and property were covered with a light dusting of salt this morning and checking the piles on Eastport, I see that two piles have open sections and one large pile is only half covered. I complained to the MOE who hopefully will get these piles covered.
If you see open salt piles, please call the MOE at (905) 521-7650.

Dec6.JPG
Dec6b.JPG
 
Last edited:

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
Many days with salt covering our vehicles and properties, checking the piles back on December 22, two piles were open. Move ahead to today (December 30th) and the same piles are open, added today there were severe wind warnings on the Skyway. Very little respect for our community from the Port and the salt companies.
December 22nd
Dec22.JPG
Dec22a.JPG


December 30th;

Dec30.JPG
Dec30b.JPG
 

Opie

Registered User
Staff member
Mar 1, 2017
318
119
43
The Beach Strip
Scott, do you know if anyone has ever approached the Hamilton Port Authority and asked for assistance in dealing with this constant problem? Also have you been able to identify who the corporation is that owns this pile of salt ? Just thinking that another avenue other than the MOE could be to address this issue on the salt company's social media pages, it might get their attention a little faster.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
The CEO of the Port knows very well the issues we have with the salt piles, but they make good money from the storage and we come second to that. We had a meeting a couple years ago at the Eastport salt office and I clearly voiced the concerns of the community but the piles are still there. I contacted the same CEO a couple weeks after that meeting when my vehicle was impacted by salt and was told he would look into the issue. A couple hours later another staff member called me back to ask a few more questions, but nothing was done. He never personally contacted me back, just passed the problem along to someone else at the Port.
 

Opie

Registered User
Staff member
Mar 1, 2017
318
119
43
The Beach Strip
Hi Scott,

any news if the piles have been covered, today the winds have been out of the NW at a good clip which is not good for Beach Blvd
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
Hi Scott,

any news if the piles have been covered, today the winds have been out of the NW at a good clip which is not good for Beach Blvd
As of yesterday the one large was covered, I asked the MOE to have another look at the smaller pile which I am sure they did, as it looks like the one small pile got covered today.

From yesterday (Jan7th)

Jan7.JPG




The piles finally have been covered, but today (Jan 10th) my vehicle is covered with a light dusting of what looks to be, salt.
Jan10.JPG


After three mornings of salt like substance covering my car and property, I checked the salt piles and noticed the tarp on the end of the last pile was plowing around in the wind. I called the MOE and was assured that it would be looked at.

Feb22.JPG
 
Likes: Opie

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
The salt company who is a tenant on Port lands has started stockpiling salt for another season, another year of more damage to our community.
From April 23rd.

April23.JPG


Once again to show the massive size of these piles, the unloaded pile is easily seen over the QEW wall at the bottom of Knapman Ave.
April23b.JPG


The morning of July 2nd, a ship has unloaded and has just left Pier 26. Another massive load of salt beside our community.
July2.JPG


A CSL vessel arrived on the evening of July 11th and started to unload.
July11b.JPG

July11.JPG

By the next morning, the CSL vessel was done unloading. This pile remained uncovered until the next evening, well over 24 hours to cover the pile.
July12.JPG
 
Last edited:

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
On July 15th the salt company moves the pile closer to our community that was just delivered back on July 11th.
July15.JPG
July15b.JPG


At the end of the work day, the pile is left open overnight as it has not been completely moved. Checking the next morning, the pile was finally moved and the cover was being put by workers.
I thanked the Port for the light salt covering on my car.
July15c.JPG
 
Top Bottom