Consultation document for Code of Practice for environmental management of road salts

Environment Canada is pleased to provide proposed national targets for the Code of practice for environmental management of road salts (the code) for a 60-day public consultation period.

An assessment report, published in 2001, concluded that high releases of road salts were having an adverse effect on freshwater ecosystems, soil, vegetation and wildlife, and that road salts that contain inorganic chloride salts were therefore “toxic” as defined in section 64 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. As a result, the code was developed with the objective of reducing the environmental impact of road salt while maintaining roadway safety.

A review of the code (five-year review), published by Environment Canada in April 2012, concluded that national targets should be developed to encourage ongoing implementation and to provide individual road organizations with clear targets and timelines to improve on best management practices. The national targets represent basic best practices that can be achieved by most organizations and will form the basis of a future evaluation of the code. The proposed national targets for the code of practice are now being distributed for comment and public consultation. Please send your comments by January 24, 2014.

Environment Canada will consider your comments before the national targets are finalized.

For more information, please contact:

Chemical Products Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 Saint-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau QC  K1A 0H3
Telephone: 1-888-391-3426
Facsimile: 1-888-391-3695
Email: ec.produits-products.ec@canada.ca