Slow, salty death: how our love for road salt is killing the environment

Alexis Wright/The Pointer

An analysis by The Pointer of chloride concentrations in Peel waterways has uncovered a troubling reality. Many of the creeks, streams and rivers that flow through the region are starting to have more in common with a salt water ocean than a freshwater ecosystem. 

This poses a serious threat to aquatic life in Peel, and with a new study showing these harms can be triggered at levels lower than what governments have deemed safe, it demands increased urgency from municipalities and provincial officials to find new solutions for winter safety.

First published in The Pointer Mississauga and The Pointer Brampton on August 26, 2022