The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is offering a free virtual 2-hour Smart Salting for Community Leaders workshop for Winter Salt Week for all that wish to learn more about chloride. This interactive workshop will help participants understand the impacts of chloride on infrastructure and water resources and provide them with specific action steps to make policy changes in their communities to reduce salt pollution.

The workshop is open to city council members, board members of watershed districts or housing associations, and other community decision-makers who are not directly involved in road salt application or water softener use but could benefit from learning about the advantages of Smart Salting.

Chloride pollution from road salt, water softeners, and fertilizer affects the quality of our lakes, rivers, and streams, and leads to damaged infrastructure and properties. There’s no feasible way to remove chloride once it gets into the water, and salty water harms our freshwater fish and other aquatic wildlife. Smart salting strategies can help reduce chloride pollution while saving money and maintaining safe conditions for winter transit.

State, county, city policy makers, and other community leaders that make policy to govern other entities have an important role to play in chloride management and promoting smart salting strategies. Smart Salting for Community Leaders highlights achievable policies and actions that can be considered to assist with reducing salt use.

Who should attend?

• City administrators, superintendents, and other organizational leadership
• City council members, county commissioners, tribal council members, and other elected officials
• Members of sustainability and environmental commissions
• Board members of housing associations, neighborhood associations, or watershed districts
• Other community decision makers & leaders

Smart Salting for Community Leaders is an introductory workshop for elected officials, board members, and the general public. It is not intended as a replacement for the MPCA’s Property Management, Roads, or Parking Lot and Sidewalks Certification Trainings. Smart Salting for Community Leaders workshop does not replace certification acquired through other Smart Salting Certification Trainings.

What you'll learn:

• Environmental, infrastructure, and monetary impacts of chloride in Minnesota
• Introduction to Smart Salting strategies for chloride reduction
• Success stories
• Roles that community decision makers can play in reducing chloride pollution in Minnesota
• Suggested action steps and policy implementation for chloride reduction
• Tools, resources, and funding opportunities for chloride reduction
• Resources for education and outreach

The learning environment for this workshop is an interactive online format. Instructors will teach online in real-time. Participants will interact with instructors and other participants through live chats, polls, and class discussion using the WebEx platform. We require attendees to actively participate in the online interactive workshop in addition to completing the survey after attending.

Training questions? Interested in hosting a Smart Salting for Community Leaders workshop? Contact Sienna Ecker sienna.ecker@state.mn.us.

 This training is hosted by the MPCA Chloride Reduction Program. Funding comes from the Clean Water Fund.

 Register for this virtual event, or contact Rachel Strauss if you would like to join the Group Viewing of the event at St. Mary's University-Rochester (formerly Cascade Meadow).