Huron County, along with most other counties in the area, is monitoring the court case that recently awarded over $100,000 to a Lambton County farmer who claimed his crops were damaged by road salt.
Huron County Director of Operations Steve Lund points out that counties and lower-tier municipalities are required by law to maintain roads and highways to minimum standards and failure to meet those standards would expose the county or municipality to significant liability.
Lund also explains that salt is the only product that's been found at this point that does the job in a cost-effective manner.
"We minimize the amount of salt we use," Lund told CKNX News. "We have to have salt management plans in terms of storage and application. We've gone with different technologies, like pre-wetting, that minimize bounce into ditches and surrounding lands."
The concern of all of the municipalities is if this recent ruling stands, it opens the floodgates to a multitude of liability claims.
Lund adds they also use a mixture of salt-brine and other liquids which they apply before cold weather or a snow storm to prevent snow and ice from binding to the road.
