The Canadian Press reports that “a
recent court ruling that awarded an Ontario farmer more than $100,000 for
damages he claimed were caused by the local government's use of road salt has
raised the ire of municipalities across the province.”
Joseph and Evelyn Steadman sued the
County of Lambton because road salt damaged their crops and lowered the value
of their farmland.
But a group representing more than 400
municipalities across Ontario said Thursday that the judge failed to take into
account the local government's responsibilities.
"Where we really get into an
impossible situation is that we have a mandatory responsibility to maintain our
roads in a safe condition through the winter time," said Tom Bateman with
the Ontario Good Roads Association.
The Steadmans said their farmland near
Sarnia withered since the late 1990s, affecting his wheat, soya and hay crop
yields. The couple said this was a direct result of the salt from the roads
surrounding the property that left parts of their land "white with
salt."
The county said there was no proof road
salt caused the problems.
Justice Thomas Carey sided with the
Steadmans, writing in his decision that "the dispersion of road salt by the
defendant...was the cause of damage from about 1999 to the present, to their
land and to their soya and wheat crop."
The Lambton county clerk said they do
not agree with the judge's ruling.
"Our heads are spinning on
that," said David Cribbs. "The law requires us to perform winter
maintenance and we have now officially been punished for conducting winter
maintenance."
Cribbs said the county is considering an
appeal, but in the meanwhile it will be business as usual.
"We have no choice but to continue
salting and sanding our roads, but we have to keep this judgement in the back
of our minds."
So how come it's not okay for farmers to pollute the environment, but municipalities think it's okay to pollute farm fields? I say the judge got it right.
The municipality could use a corn-based ice-melting product.
