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Winter brings with it the recurring management of slippery snow and ice. The tons of salt used every year for management damages infrastructure and vegetation, and pollutes our valuable lakes, streams, and groundwater.
Public and private property managers, those who manage or hire snow removal, winter maintenance contractors, environmental professionals, and public maintenance crews have learned how to apply less salt safely while improving operations by taking one of four MPCA’s Smart Salting Certification Trainings online.
MPCA Smart Salting Certifications offered:
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Parking Lots & Sidewalks - For private maintenance companies, public and private property owners that maintain their own surfaces or hire it out
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Property Management – For those who manage winter maintenance operations, decision-makers, public and private property managers and owners, business owners
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Roads - For city, county, or state plow drivers
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Level 2 Smart Salting Assessment tool – For public works managers, supervisors, business owners, superintendents, and other lead staff with knowledge of organizational salt application product use and practices. The online Smart Salting Assessment Tool – Filled with 180 best management practices, offers a calculator for monitoring and projecting potential salt reduction and cost savings.
Why attend?
- More efficient operations – Improve your winter maintenance practices
- New application materials -- De-icing and anti-icing
- Save money and time – Reduce salt use and annual infrastructure damage costs; becoming salt smart in all areas allows more time for other tasks
- Salt and snow storage improvements – Rethink usual habits and reduce chloride runoff
- Know your legal issues – Discuss liability and regulatory requirements
- Protect our water resources – Learn the environmental effects of chloride in our valuable water resources
- Reduce complaints - Tips for managing customer expectations
- Learn about the new permit requirements in the recently reissued MS4 General Permit that requires specific chloride reduction activities for permittees. Visit the MPCA water permit holders and chloride website for updates on the permit.
The MPCA plans to have many opportunities for attendees to register this year. Discover trainings, get certified and listed, as well as identify other smart salting certified professionals near you here.
You may want to register for an online training hosted by a local organization near you, offering the chance to connect to local chloride reduction advocates.
Questions? Email smartsalting.pca@state.mn.us.
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The Lower Minnesota River Collaborative Chloride Reduction Grants
The Chloride Reduction Grant Program offers financial support and resources for businesses and local governmental units that reduce chloride usage by that organization. Product purchase examples include, but are not limited to, pavement temperature sensors which would allow for more effective chloride application, and outfitting currently owned trucks with new segmented plow blades to reduce chemical removal of snow and ice.
These are cost-share grants. The Collaborative covers part of the project cost, and the awardee covers part. Maximum grant amount is $20,000. The Collaborative will cover up to 75% of the project cost.
Entities applying must be currently MPCA Smart Salting certified and must operate within the following communities:
- Bloomington
- Edina
- Eden Prairie
- Deephaven
- Hopkins
- Minnetonka
- Shorewood
- Richfield
Click here if interested in applying. Questions? Contact Amy Bakkum, abakkum@rpbcwd.org.
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Host sites can soon apply for a Minnesota GreenCorps member.
The MPCA plans to place up to 48 full-time members at host site organizations. Members serve 40 hours a week from September 2021 - August 2022.
MN GreenCorps members can help with chloride reduction by:
- Promoting best management practices that reduce chloride application and discharge.
- Delivering outreach to communities on the harmful effects of chloride (i.e., deicing salt and water softener discharge) on the environment.
- Identifying local chloride sources, management strategies, policies, and provide community-specific outreach and education.
Learn more on how MN GreenCorps members can help your community or organization manage salt use.
Sign up for host site application process updates and more here. Direct questions to mngreencorps.pca@state.mn.us.
Minnesota GreenCorps is an environmentally focused AmeriCorps program that places members to serve organizations each year to address critical environmental issues while gaining important job experience. Eligible organizations include public entities (local, regional, state, tribal), school districts, not-for-profit institutions of higher education, and 501 (c)(3) nonprofits.
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August 3-4, 2021
Two days of chloride research and innovation
8/3/21: New Directions in Chloride
8/4/21: Winter Maintenance
Salt Symposium attendees can register for MPCA Smart Salting Certification Trainings offered in conjunction with the Symposium.
Online only! Registration opens soon! Sign up for updates and more: https://fortinconsulting.com/2021-symposium/
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This is produced by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Chloride Reduction Program. Contact Angela Bourdaghs angela.bourdaghs@state.mn.us with editorial questions or to share your story!
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