Samples taken

Greens fume: City of Vienna spreads salt illegally

They are now demanding that the city itself adheres to the ban on salt gritting and also monitors the companies it commissions in this regard.

(Bild: P. Huber, Krone KREATIV)

Vienna is illegally spreading salt on trees and green spaces - at least that's what the Vienna Greens claim. They have taken samples from several locations and had them tested in the laboratory. The result: salt is also being used in areas where, according to regulations, it may not be used as a de-icing agent. 

Vienna certainly looked wintry on Thursday. However, the city is not only colored white by snow, but also by road salt, as the Greens announced on Thursday. This is not prohibited per se. It can be used where it serves road safety.

Contradictory claims by the City of Vienna
However, the Green Party criticizes the fact that it is also applied to areas where it is not actually permitted - such as directly on plants. They are now calling for controls and a tightening of the current rules.

The spreading of salt on sidewalks is prohibited in the vicinity of unsealed surfaces if there are no separating, structural measures in place. The Greens complain that the city always claims that it is only private companies that violate this ban. However, the analyses prove that the city council itself is also acting in this way and endangering trees, for example.

Use of sodium chloride is "clear"
Last winter, the Greens took samples from Yppenplatz and Rathauspark and examined them in the laboratory. These were places where the city is responsible for winter road maintenance, they were assured. The result was clear, they said. Sodium chloride had been spread illegally.

Road salt is harmful to vegetation and soil. The substance makes it more difficult for trees to absorb water and causes drought stress, making it even harder for them to survive. The substance is also dangerous for dogs. Salt leads to skin irritation and injuries to the paws.

The current winter road clearance regulations in Vienna do not adequately protect our trees. Particularly in view of the fact that we need more and more trees to protect us from the summer heat, we are calling for a phased plan for winter road clearance.

Grüne Umweltsprecherin Huem Otero García

Commissioned companies should be monitored
We are now calling for the city to comply with the ban on salt spreading itself and also to monitor the companies it commissions in this regard. A step-by-step plan for winter road maintenance is also required, which states, among other things, that salt-free, blunting agents should primarily be used on sidewalks and cycle paths.

"The current winter road clearance regulations in Vienna do not adequately protect our trees. Particularly in view of the fact that we need more and more trees to protect us from the summer heat, we are calling for a phased plan for winter road clearance. The city cannot afford to be so careless with the trees in our city," said Green spokesperson for the environment Huem Otero García.