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<br />WS – Item 4 <br />WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />Work Session Item No. 4 <br /> <br /> <br />Date: December 5, 2022 <br /> <br />To: City Council <br /> <br />From: Michael Grochala, Community Development Director <br /> <br />Re: Deicing Material Bulk Storage Ordinance <br /> <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />Section 18.6 of the Cities General Permit for Separate Storm Sewer System requires that <br />the City adopt a regulatory mechanism (Ordinance) that requires proper salt storage at <br />commercial, institutional, and non-NPDES Permitted industrial facilities. At a minimum <br />the ordinance must require the following: <br /> <br />a. Designated salt storage areas must be covered or indoors; <br />b. Designated slat storage areas must be located on an impervious surface; and <br />c. Implementation of practices to reduce exposure when transferring material in <br />designated salt storage areas (e.g., sweeping, diversions, and/containment <br /> <br />ANALYSIS <br /> <br />Deicers used to reduce ice and snow on roads, parking lots, and sidewalks often include <br />salt, which contains chloride. Chloride is easily transmitted into lakes, streams, and <br />groundwater. This has the potential to impact drinking water supplies, as well as the <br />health of freshwater fish and other aquatic life. Once in the water, there is no easy way to <br />remove it. Residents experience the impacts of chloride in many ways: <br /> <br />• Fish and aquatic bugs – High amounts of chloride are toxic to fish, aquatic bugs, <br />and amphibians. Chloride can negatively affect the fish and insect community <br />structure, diversity, and productivity, even at lower levels. <br /> <br />• Plants – Road salt splash can kill plants and trees along the roadside, and plants <br />that take up salty water through their roots can also suffer, Chloride in streams, <br />lakes, and wetlands harms aquatic vegetation and can change the plant community <br />structure. <br /> <br />• Salt-laden soil can lose its ability to retain water and store nutrients and be more <br />prone to erosion and sediment runoff (which also harms water quality). <br /> <br />• Pets – Salt can sicken pets who consume it, lick it off their paws, or drink salty <br />snow melt/runoff. It can also irritate their paw pads.