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Jeff Green | Apr 10, 2008

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The five works yards in South Frontenac are all being looked at in terms of salt containment and other environmental factors, and they could cost up to $1.5 million to clean up.

A preliminary engineering report was presented to council this week about the five yards, with the yard at Keeley Road in Loughborough District being the most urgent because of the potential environmental impacts of salt and oil run-off.

A proposed solution, which involves paving, ditching, and building a containment pond for salt water, would cost $216,000. A new salt barn, at a cost of $286,000, was also included in the plan, but it is still unclear if building the large salt barn might mitigate the need for such a large pond, and Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth will bring a final plan back to council in a few weeks.

There is $500,000 in the 2008 budget, taken from federal gas tax rebate money, for remediation at the Keeley Road site.

Costs for proposed improvements at the other sites are $116,500 for work at the Hartington Yard, $87,768 for the Storrington Yard, $18,306 for the Piccadilly Yard, and $31,312 at the Bedford Yard.

Costs for replacing salt domes will be in addition to these prices.

The township will also be keeping track of its salt usage next winter with a view towards managing salt better, and perhaps considering alternate technologies, such as salt brine or even calcium carbonate.

“When we just about ran out of salt this winter, we found we could get by without using salt on the back roads, so it’s worth looking at everything we do,” said Mark Segsworth.