Smart Salting (S2) training information

Information: 16th Annual Road Salt Symposium, Thursday, February 2, 2017 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Mounds View Event Center in Mounds View. For more information, and to register, go to the Freshwater Society's web site.

In February 2005, an EPA pollution prevention grant was secured to develop and test an education outreach program for local government and private applicators of road salt. The key objectives of the outreach were to:

• develop best management practices (BMPs) for application of road salt;
• develop a training program and conduct three pilot training sessions; and
• follow-up those trained to learn what changes occurred as a result of using best management practices.

The target of this training is private applicators. However, other interested parties and local government officials are also being trained. In this way local officials will be knowledgeable about the training that is going on in their city, can learn the newest techniques, and be in a position to continue training in their city. Also, cities have the opportunity at these training sessions to address the audience and cover any other environmental concerns affecting lakes and streams.

Updated training schedule for Level 1 and 2 attached

MPCA Smart Salting Level 1 Certification: Snow and ice control best practices

Audience: Winter Maintenance staff for high/low speed roads, contractors and staff maintaining private/public walkways and/or parking lots, property managers writing contracts, distributors of anti-icing/de-icing products, snowplow drivers— those who make it happen. Anyone else interested in reducing salt use.

Purpose: Through education and outreach, applicators of road salt can learn best practices and significantly reduce their use while maintaining road safety.

Types of Level 1 Classes: There are two types of Smart Salting Level 1 training classes.

1. high/low speed snowplow drivers (roads class), and
2. for anyone maintaining private/public walkways and/or parking lots and service roads (parking lot/sidewalk class).

Why is it important? This class will help:

• save you money;
• keep our parking lots and sidewalks safe;
• protect our water; and
• get certified.

Level 1 - Training schedule

The following training schedule is changed periodically as training events are completed/added.

Because of the expanded training schedule, we no longer maintain the schedule in the stormwater manual. The training calendar can be accessed here.

Because of the expanded training schedule, we no longer maintain the schedule in the stormwater manual. The training calendar can be accessed here.

• File:Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance.pdf (October 2010) - applicators attending training will be given a clip board containing critical information. The hope is that this clip board will be a useful tool for applicators to keep in there their vehicles during storm events.

MPCA Smart Salting Level 2 Training

Audience: Winter maintenance supervisors and leadership

Purpose:

• Explore the Winter Maintenance Assessment tool (WMAt) with guided instruction
• Demonstrate how the WMAt can be used to assist with planning and prioritizing implementation of salt reducing BMPs
• Show how the WMAt can help organizations show progress already made and additional opportunities for reducing salt use to improve water quality and potentially save money
• Discuss how the WMAt can be used to gain support from the public, local decisions makers, and others to implement salt reducing BMPs

Level 2 - Training schedule

The following training schedule is changed periodically as training events are completed/added.

Training schedule for Level 2 Smart Salting

Smart Salting Level 2 Voluntary Certification

This is an organizational certification. This means a private or public entity. The organization can include one assessment submittal for the whole organization or multiple submittals for an organization as long as each submittal has a unique address (e.g. the City of Medina, MNDOT’s Plymouth truck station).

To become Smart Salting Level 2 certified an organization must:

• Use the WMAt to complete the BMP and salt savings assessments for the most recent fully completed winter maintenance season. For example, if you are filling out the BMP and salt savings assessment report on January 1, you will have to answer based on the previous season.
• Submit the following items to MPCA:
  • Application sheet for Smart Salting Level II Certification
  • Summary of BMP question responses for current report
  • BMP question responses: Summary Charts Report, and
  • Salt Savings Summary 1 Report.

Reports should be for at least current and future time periods and include all of the surface type(s) in which you are involved, not a separate report for each surface type.

• Submit reports to:
  • Email Brooke Asleson
  • Mail to:
    • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
    • Attn: Andy Ronchak
    • 520 Lafayette Road N
    • St. Paul, MN 55155-4194

Related Documents:

• Level 2 – File:Application cover page.docx

• Level 2 – File:How to become Level 2 Certified.pdf

It does not matter what the reports say, you can have poor practice, and you may have increased salt use. Becoming Smart Salting Level 2 Certified does not require you or people from your organization to be Level 1 certified. You do not need to attend a Level 2 training to become Level 2 certified.

What will MPCA do for you?

• Post your organizations name as being Level 2 certified on the MPCA website
• Send you a certification by email to be printed out or by mail

Please note: The organization certification period will be indefinite as long as the organization updates and resubmits the Best Management Practices and Salt Savings reports. We are hoping for a shift in positive practices and salt savings, depending on where you are in your operations this may or may not be possible. You may want to comment on your situation. If you have any salt saving numbers from a change in practice, please share to help make the tool the best it can be.

Model Snow and Ice Policies

• Model Snow and Ice Policy Advisory Committee Minnesota Model Snow and Ice Management Policy File:Model Snow Ice Policy.docx
• Model Snow and Ice Policy Advisory Committee Guidance Document File:Model Contract Exhibit Language.docx
• Minnesota Model Exhibit for Private Snow and Ice Service Contract File:Model Contract Exhibit Language.docx

Example Snow and Ice Policies

• Scott County Snow Policy
• Goodhue County Snow Policy
• Olmstead County Snow Policy File:Roadsalt-olmstedpolicy.pdf
• City of Eagan Road and Trail Snow Policy File:Roadsalt-eaganpolicy.pdf

Related pages

• How salt works
• Environmental impacts of road salt
• Other impacts of road salt use
• Snow and salt storage
• Salt application BMPs
• Technology-based deicing BMPs
• Non-chloride chemical alternatives for deicing
• Emerging and non-traditional deicing BMPs
• Chloride Management Plan
• Winter Maintenance Assessment tool (WMAt)
• Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance Manual
• Smart Salting (S2) training information
• Smart Salting (S2) training certificate holders
• Educational resources for Smart Salting (S2)
• Cost-benefit considerations for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance
• Case studies for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance
• Chloride TMDL projects
• Links for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance
• References for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance