Protect Ontario waters from Salt Pollution

Thank you for taking action on salt pollution in Ontario! Andrea Khanjin (Minister, MECP), Doug Ford, Attorney General Doug Downey, Auditor General Shelley Spence, and your local MPP will receive a copy of this email. Feel free to customize the note to maximize your impact!

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Dear [recipient name will go here],

I am writing today to express my deep concern about rising salt pollution in Ontario’s waters. I am concerned by the lack of action taken by the Province on this issue and implore you to prioritize policies and legislation to end salt pollution. An action agenda follows in this message.

Many freshwater rivers, lakes, and aquifers are facing serious, chronic, and rising salt pollution across the province. Enough time has passed to determine that Canada’s current Code of Practice (2004) on salt has not adequately protected water. Salt and chloride levels continue to rise and they will keep rising without provincial-level action.

We need urgent action on salt pollution in Ontario. A coalition of concerned individuals, community groups, and NGOs have come together to advocate for improvements to Ontario’s policies, practices, and ecological protections. I add my voice to theirs, calling on the Province of Ontario and particularly the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks to act swiftly to address salt pollution.

There are four major actions we believe will make a difference now and into the future on the issue of salt pollution:

(1) Convene the Experts: Establish a multistakeholder advisory committee to guide and inform provincial action on salt pollution that is protective of water, including developing ministry-endorsed Best Management Practices, exploring pathways to limit liability to property owners and salt applicators, as well as address watershed-based approaches to salt pollution.

(2) Protect Water Now: Address the emergent and ongoing harms of winter salt application to water and water-based ecosystems via ecologically based policy, best practices and legislation.

(3) Cut the Salt: Commit to substantial salt reduction in the short term, and completely phase out the use of salts in the long term, in favour of sustainable physical, chemical, practical, and non-toxic alternatives.

(4) Fund the Change: Mobilize public funds to support multi-level action on salt pollution issues, including monitoring, water conservation, and public education.

We urgently need a provincial roadmap to a less salty future. I am calling on you, my representatives and provincial leaders, to enact policies, institute practices, and provide funding that will protect Ontario waters from salt pollution now and into the future.

Road Salt is water pollution and we need a non-toxic alternative. To learn more, I am forwarding the Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition’s website where you can review the more detailed version of their Ontario Salt Pollution Action Agenda.

www.saltcoalition.ca

Thank you for your time and action.

Yours in the work for a healthier Ontario,        
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

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