Every winter brings with it the recurring management of slippery snow and ice. The more than 400,000 tons of de-icing salt used every year in Minnesota damages infrastructure and vegetation, and permanently pollutes our valuable lakes, streams, and groundwater.

Learn how to apply less salt safely while improving operations by taking one of four MPCA’s Smart Salting Certification Trainings online.

Which Smart Salting Training is best for me?

Parking Lots & Sidewalks (PLS) - For private maintenance companies, public and private maintenance crews that maintain their own surfaces or hire it out

Roads - For city, county, or state plow drivers

Property Management (PM) – For those who manage winter maintenance operations, decision-makers, public and private property managers and owners, environmental professionals, business owners

Level 2 Smart Salting Assessment tool (SSAt) – For public works managers, MS4 permittees, supervisors, business owners, superintendents, and other lead staff with knowledge of organizational salt application product use and practices. 

Why get certified?  

• Protect our water resources – Chloride is a permanent pollutant and cannot be removed from our water resources
• More efficient operations – Improve your winter maintenance practices 
• New application materials -- De-icing and anti-icing  
• Save money and time – Reduce expensive salt and infrastructure damage. Salt smart planning and practices allows time for other tasks 
• Salt and snow storage – Rethink usual habits and reduce chloride runoff 
• Reduce complaints and gain user and staff confidence - Tips for managing user expectations, maintaining open communication and providing safety education with property users and staff
• Discuss liability - Protect yourself by reviewing regulatory requirements  

The permit requirements in the recently reissued MS4 General Permit requires specific chloride reduction activities for permittees. Visit the MPCA water permit holders and chloride website for more.

You may want to register for an online training hosted by a local organization near you, offering a chance to connect with other interested local chloride reduction advocates. Questions? Email smartsalting.pca@state.mn.us. 

Hear from local and national pros about advanced research developments and best practices for chloride management at the 2021 Salt Symposium this August 3-6. Register Today! Symposium registration here 

Not only does it cover the latest in de-icing, but several major sources of chloride pollution in MN. Professionals share how they have optimized salt use to protect infrastructure and water resources. This is a fully live-streamed event.

See the Symposium agenda here. Chloride reduction topics covered:

8/3: New Directions in Chloride - Drinking water, wastewater, agriculture, industry

8/4: Winter Maintenance

Each Salt Symposium registrant may enjoy one complimentary registration for an online Smart Salting Certification Training:

8/5:   MPCA Smart Salting Certification Training in either Roads or Property Management 

8/6: MPCA Smart Salting Certification Training in Parking Lots & Sidewalks

Training details on the registration pages can be found on the MPCA Smart Salting calendar for August. 

Registration and more information here: Symposium registration. Training sign-up details will be in your Symposium registration confirmation email. Symposium Smart Salting trainings registration access info here. 

Hear from certified winter maintenance pros now using less salt and still offering a high level of service in this training program overview:  MPCA Smart Salting Training for Winter Maintenance Professionals promo video! 

For property managers:   

Annual property infrastructure, equipment and vegetation damage from salt use is expensive. Uncover ways to use less salt safely on your properties by getting certified: Smart Salting training for property management promo video! 

In the 2020 MS4 General Permit, all MS4 permittees have new requirements that promote deicing salt reduction. Further, new supplementary chloride requirements apply to over 100 MS4 permittees, who have an applicable waste load allocation (WLA). This is where further reductions in chloride pollutant loading is required. WLA permittees are required to:

• Document the amount of deicer applied each winter maintenance season to all permittee owned/operated surfaces. (Permit item 22.5)
• Conduct an assessment of the permittee's winter maintenance operations to reduce the amount of deicing salt applied to permittee owned/operated surfaces, and determine current and future opportunities to improve BMPs. The permittee may actively use the Agency's Smart Salting Assessment Tool or other available resources and methods to complete and document an assessment. (Permit item 22.6)

The online Smart Salting Assessment Tool – Filled with 180 best management practices, helps assess and track your winter maintenance strategy, with customized efficiency ideas that reduce de-icing salt and save you money, while tracking annual progress. The SSAt can be completed and submitted anytime for certification or we offer a Level 2 class with instructor support and guidance. This Level 2 class will also walk participants through all of the chloride requirements in the new MS4 permit. Send an email to smartsalting.pca@state.mn.us if you are interested in attending a Level 2 class. 

Find other Smart Salting certification trainings for Roads, Parking Lots & Sidewalks, and Property Management on the MPCA Smart Salting training calendar.

For more on chloride TMDL requirements: Guidance for meeting chloride TMDL MS4 permit requirements - Minnesota Stormwater Manual

The MPCA announced more than $5 million in grants to help replace heavy-duty diesel vehicles with all-electric, cleaner diesel, or alternative fuel models using funds from the national Volkswagen settlement. Public, private, and non-profit organizations and tribal governments are all eligible to apply.

$3.5 million - For organizations switching to electric vehicles/equipment

Maximum award per electric project is $100,000 or 50% of eligible costs (whichever is less), including accompanying charging station.

Vehicles and equipment eligible for replacement:

• Class 4-7 medium-duty trucks
• Class 8 heavy-duty trucks
• Class 4-8 buses (shuttle, transit)
• Airport ground support equipment

$1.7 million - For new diesel, propane, natural gas, and fuel/electric hybrid vehicles

Maximum award per replacement:

• $50,000 or up to 25% of eligible costs (whichever is less) for a new diesel, natural gas, or propane vehicle, OR
• $60,000 or up to 25% of eligible project costs (whichever is less) for new certified ultra-low NOx diesel, natural gas or propane vehicle, or new diesel/electric vehicle hybrid.
• Vehicles eligible for replacement:
• Class 4-7 medium-duty trucks
• Class 8 heavy-duty trucks
• Class 4-8 buses

Applications due by 4:30 p.m. CST on August 9, 2021.

Full grant details and application materials: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/diesel-road-and-heavy-duty-electric-vehicle-replacement-grant

Questions? Email questions to grants.pca@state.mn.us, subject line: “Diesel On-Road Grant 2021.” Answers will be posted frequently at the grant webpage.

Photo credit: Class 5 all-electric work truck by Zeus Electric Chassis, Inc.

This is produced by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Chloride Reduction Program. Contact smartsalting.pca@state.mn.us with editorial questions or requests.