Who: Property managers, business owners, landscaping companies, and other private contractors / salt applicators interested in effective ice melting strategies that protect the environment while also maintaining profitability and meeting customer expectations.

What: Topics include pre-season planning, site analysis, and ice fighting strategies. Contracts and cost benefits will also be covered.

Why: The use of salt and brine during winter weather months has increased exponentially during the past decade. The chemical properties in salt lower water’s freezing point and allow for safer use of roadways and sidewalks. However, once in the environment, it accumulates in the soil and travels into local streams, wells, and drinking water reservoirs causing damage to infrastructure, the environment, and potentially human health.

The Maryland Department of the Environment's Smart Salting: Enhanced Winter Maintenance Training addresses salt overuse on parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks. The goal of this program is to provide a voluntary, statewide Smart Salting training for private applicators that balances the safety and mobility of people during winter weather months with minimizing salt application and improving application practices to reduce contamination.