Solutions for Salt Vulnerable Areas

Transcription

1 Solutions for Salt Vulnerable Areas 1

2 What we ll talk about. What is a salt vulnerable area? Why the urgency? Conflicting legislative priorities Leading the charge to find a workable solution: Municipal-Conservation Ontario Road Salt Working Group purpose composition of the group progress to date next steps 2

3 What is a Salt Vulnerable Area? Federal concerns under CEPA include both ground water and surface water Environment Canada identifies SVAs as o areas draining into bodies of water o areas draining into groundwater recharge zones o areas draining into sources of drinking water o areas adjacent to salt-sensitive native or agricultural vegetation o areas where road salts can harm wildlife habitat o areas where road salts can harm local fish or fish habitat (NOTE: Fisheries Act covers this too) 3

4 Clean Water Act - Vulnerable Areas Four Types of Vulnerable Areas: 1. Intake Protection Zones (IPZs) 2. Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPAs) 3. Highly Vulnerable Aquifers (HVAs) 4. Significant Groundwater Recharge Areas (SGRAs) The vulnerable areas are delineated per Technical Rules under the Clean Water Act. Issue Contributing Areas (ICAs) are delineated within vulnerable areas. Conservation Ontario 4

5 Clean Water Act - Issue Contributing Areas Some drinking water supply intakes or wells have known contaminants (water quality issues ) that can render a drinking water source to be impaired. e.g.: Sodium and Chloride. All activities contributing to an issue in any of the vulnerable zones are Significant Drinking Water Threats in the ICA, if the specified circumstances are met. e.g. road salt storage and application, snow storage. These activities in ICAs are subject to legally binding policies in local Source Protection Plans. 5 Conservation Ontario

6 Winter Salt Impacts on the Environment Most commonly used is Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Vast majority of salt will end up in surface and groundwater in days to decades. Adversely impacts aquatic life, physical and chemical properties of soil, wildlife, turnover dynamics of inland lakes. Highly soluble; concentrations in water are unaffected by chemical reactions. Concentrations therefore remain high in water. 6 Bill Thompson, Dave Lembcke Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority A Watershed for Life

7 Chloride Concentrations: Let s Compare Ocean salt concentration: 35,000mg/L 55% Cl (19,250mg/L) 45% Na (15,750mg/L) Unimpacted lakes on Canadian Shield: <1 7mg/L Cooksville Creek Mississauga Cl: 20,000 Cl mg/l Max. Lake Simcoe Tributary Cl: 6,120 mg/l at Hotchkiss Creek, February CCME Guidelines: Chronic (long term) = 120 mg/l Acute (short term) = 640 mg/l 7 Bill Thompson, Dave Lembcke Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority A Watershed for Life

8 Chloride in Simcoe Tributaries Bluffs 12mg/l 11mg/l Ave. Cl Concentrations Winter Spring, Summer, Fall Hotchkiss 857mg/l 247mg/l Beaver 30mg/l 26mg/l High Chloride concentrations in tributaries linked to urban areas and seasonality Bill Thompson, Dave Lembcke Holland Landing 339mg/l 140mg/l Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority A Watershed for Life 8

9 Parking Lot Salt Application Flow and conductivity monitoring ( Cl load) on 3 types of parking lots Winter 2014/15 commercial lot (142,000m 2 ) 75 applications over in January and February alone Month Cl Load (ton) Max Concentration (mg/l) December ,443 January ,740 February ,673 March ,484 TOTAL Bill Thompson, Dave Lembcke Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority A Watershed for Life 9

10 Where is the salt coming from? 2% 17% Local roads Regional roads 17% 45% Provincial highways Commercial Residential 19% Total of 90,000 T in 2012 Equivalent to 225 kg of salt per capita. 10 Bill Thompson, Dave Lembcke Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority A Watershed for Life

11 11 Amanjot Singh, Lorna Murison Credit Valley Conservation Authority

12 Conflicting Legislative Priorities Clean Water Act ROAD SAFETY Municipal Act 12

13 Leading the Charge to Find a Workable Solution Municipal - Conservation Ontario Road Salt Working Group Purpose To collaborate on operational solutions to winter maintenance of roads within SVAs Composition of the Group OGRA & Conservation Ontario (Co-Chairs) Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change 6 municipal road managers experienced in advanced road salt management techniques 6 reps from Conservation Authorities experienced in water quality management 13

14 Progress To Date & Next Steps Working group has met twice Agreed to focus on finding solutions to winter maintenance within Issue Contributing Areas --- i.e. SVAs of highest priority Sharing best management practices between municipalities Ultimately, it will take a multi-pronged approach that includes private sector cooperation and public awareness 14

15 Questions?? Heather Crewe Mgr, Professional Devel. & Training Ontario Good Roads Assoc Chitra Gowda Source Water Protection Lead Conservation Ontario