They brave the elements under the worst weather conditions. They arrive early, stay late, pull double shifts, and know how to dress for the polar vortex. If you haven’t slipped on an icy sidewalk this winter, stand up and thank the below-zero heroes who shovel sidewalks, plow parking areas, and apply de-icing treatments. Many local snow-and-ice removal contractors, property managers, and staff working for facilities, parks, cities and schools attended a free half-day “Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance” workshop at Dakota County Western Service Center on Aug. 17. Attendees, most of whom received a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Level 1 Certification in Snow and Ice Control Best Practices, learned sensible salting practices to save money, protect lakes and rivers, and keep parking lots and sidewalks safe.

Training topics included application rates and materials, weather conditions and storage, environmental effects of salt/de-icer, new maintenance methods, selection of materials, and setting policies. The MPCA, through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), funded the workshop with matching funds from Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization (VRWJPO) and Dakota County. The course and materials were developed for the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization by Fortin Consulting, Inc. Among those who have participated in the training during the past three years: 24 Dakota County Facilities Management, County Parks, and Transportation staff.

Pollutants in stormwater or melted snow affect lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Sand clogs river and lake bottoms, disrupting aquatic species’ habitat and food supply. Salt (chloride) percolates into the groundwater, harms aquatic species, and interrupts lake turnover. By learning safe, cost-effective, and sustainable methods of pavement maintenance, ice-and-snow removal heroes can help keep water resources clean.

The three-year project ended in 2016, but the VRWJPO wants to know whether other organizations and businesses want more ice-and-snow removal and maintenance workshops. In addition to “Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance,” Fortin Consulting has offered “Winter Road Maintenance” and “Summer Turfgrass Maintenance” workshops. If you’d like to see the VRWJPO sponsor these workshops in 2017 or beyond, email us at environ@co.dakota.mn.us.