Salt-free 2020

Picton Terminals won’t accept salt shipments in 2020 although reasons remain unclear
Story: Corey Engelsdorfer

Last week, Picton Terminals (PT)s announced that it would halt shipments of road salt in 2020, causing many to question the rationale surrounding the decision. Sandy Berg, spokesperson from Doornekamp Construction Ltd. stated this will be the first time since 1985 that the former Port of Hallowell has not transshipped road salt to eastern Ontario communities.

This news comes after a special planning public council meeting was held last fall to discuss the PT facility on Picton Bay. Picton Terminals is seeking a zoning bylaw amendment and site plan control agreement to allow the entire property to be used for transshipment operations, and a cruise ship operation. At the time, Mike Keene, a land use planner with Fotenn Planning + Design, ran through the current facility and what the proposed changes would bring. The property itself is a 25-hectare piece of land with steep cliffs overlooking Picton Bay. In its past, the facility was used mostly for the export of iron ore from Marmoraton Mine. Keene explained that in 2006, the zoning was changed. “In 2006, the municipality updated its zoning bylaw and at the time the former owner wasn’t paying attention to the changes that were occurring,” said Keene. This led to the use of the terminal becoming legal non-conforming. “The original use was lost in the bylaw,” said Keene.

The announcement has members of Save Picton Bay looking for answers. David Sutherland doesn’t have any first hand information, but believes that the decision comes from PT’s inability to complete its dry storage structure, a Ministry Order that needed to be completed by April 2020. “We can only speculate that PT couldn’t make the April 1 deadline imposed by MECP for the completion of a dry storage structure,” said Sutherland.

When asked about the current state of the dry storage structure, and whether it has an effect on new salt shipments, Berg stated that it was simply a business decision. “There are many industry factors which resulted in our decision for a salt-free 2020,” said Berg. “We constantly analyze the cost-effectiveness of all products that we transship. The overarching point is that we continue to move forward with the construction of our MECP ECA [stormwater management plan] which awaits final MECP approval.”

In a press release, PT shared that its decision will ultimately affect the price of salt for local municipalities. “Picton Terminals recognizes the inevitable added financial burden to regional road salt users, who must now travel farther to pick up road salt for their communities,” stated Berg. “Local community road maintenance agencies who use salt in maintaining safe roads, will increase truck miles driven on regional roadways, increase greenhouse gas emissions and add to already congested Ontario highways as they pick up road salt next winter.”

Last September, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks approved phase two of a plan to allow delivery of road salt starting that month. Picton Terminals was approved to receive more than 100 metric tonnes from Windsor Salt supplies in the fall, for delivery to municipal customers in eastern Ontario.

In October 2019, the County, local environmental group Save Picton Bay and Picton Terminals jointly announced a settlement in litigation.

As part of the settlement, Picton Terminals agreed not to use the property for storage of liquid fertilizer and would not alter its rezoning application to include uses associated with waste disposal; all salt deliveries would be stored in a closed facility and each party agreed not to seek costs from other parties.