Strategic locations are targeted for dust suppressant application, which helps reduce the frequency of maintenance and improves safety while mitigating the nuisance of dust to residents and minimizing environmental impact.
The dust suppressant program consists of the following:
- MG 30
- Residential Dust Suppressant
- Oil Surface Products
- Transitioning Oil Road Maintenance
- Test Products
- Pavement
MG 30
MG 30 is a water-soluble dust suppressant product, which also has road surface stabilization characteristics that bind aggregate materials, increasing grade strength and thus keeping aggregate on the road. MG 30 has also proven to help reduce washboard, grader maintenance and the frequency for gravelling, thus extending the life of our gravel sources.
MG 30 will be applied to strategic locations to help reduce the frequency of maintenance; these locations include hills and at intersections.
MG 30 will be available for residential dust controls at full cost recovery.
Residential Dust Suppressant
Check back in early 2025 for the application forms for the Spring MG 30 Residential Dust Suppressant Agreement and the Fall MG 30 Residential Dust Suppressant Agreement.
Residents have TWO (2) options for Residential Dust Suppressant:
1. MG 30 Dust Suppressant Services Provided by Flagstaff County
- The MG 30 product and application will be provided on a full cost recovery basis.
- Application forms must be received prior to May 1st for spring application and August 1st for fall application.
- FOR RESIDENTS ON ARTERIAL ROADS: A 200-metre MG 30 residential dust suppressant will be provided by Flagstaff County free of charge. To determine whether or not you reside on an arterial road, please click HERE.
- Prior to application of the product, the length of the residential dust suppressant will be staked in accordance with the length indicated on the application.
- The minimum length is 100 meters.
- Flagstaff County reserves the right to maintain all dust suppressant as required. This includes blading sections of the dust suppressant areas with potholing, washboard, rutting or other areas of concern. This maintenance may reduce the effectiveness and life expectancy of the dust suppressant.
- Under agreement, the resident recognizes the County roadways are subject to seasonal weather changes (extended periods of wet and/or dry weather), traffic volumes, and vehicle weight. This may reduce the effectiveness and/or condition of the dust suppressant. Two (2) applications per year may be required at some sites. If a second application is desired, an application form must be received prior to August 1st.
2. Dust Suppressant Provided through Contracted Services - A resident may hire a qualified private company to provide dust suppression in front of their residence.
- It is the responsibility of the resident to organize, pay for, and oversee the completion of any dust suppressant application.
- Residents are only permitted to utilize products listed on Alberta Transportation’s Dust Abatement Product List. Click HERE for Alberta Transportation’s Dust Abatement Product List.
A list of potential private dust suppressant contractors is listed below:
|
DUST SUPPRESSANT CONTRACTORS | |
|
Dust Control Services |
780-878-1415 |
|
Kortech Calcium Services Ltd. |
780-499-6633 |
|
Tiger Calcium |
780-955-5004 |
|
CleanTrack – trevor@hydraprotects.com |
403-741-7716 |
- The resident must provide a signed copy of the Residential Dust Suppressant Hold Harmless and Indemnity Agreement to Flagstaff County prior to the commencement of work. Click HERE for the Residential Dust Suppressant Hold Harmless and Indemnity Agreement.
- It is highly recommended that the dust suppressant only be applied to areas that are appropriately bladed and have an adequate amount of aggregate on the road surface as this may reflect on the product’s performance.
- At the resident’s request, blading and graveling of the area may be provided by the County and scheduled when County equipment is available. The blading will be provided on a full cost recovery basis and gravel will be supplied by the County.
- Flagstaff County will not be responsible for the performance or quality of any dust suppressant product.
- Flagstaff County reserves the right to maintain all dust suppressant as required. This includes blading sections of the dust suppressant areas with potholing, washboard, rutting or other areas of concern. This maintenance may reduce the effectiveness and life expectancy of the dust suppressant.
- It is strongly recommended that all dust suppressant areas be marked by a colored lathe set in the ditch labelled Dust Control to help ensure that the grader operators are aware of the presence of a dust control.
- All products must ensure compliance with Alberta Environment’s Guidelines for the Application of Used Oil to Road Surfaces. Click HERE for the guidelines.
Click HERE to view the Residential Dust Suppressant Policy (PW 013).
Oiled Road Maintenance
A maintenance program for patching, rip/relaying, seal coat application, snow plowing, and sanding is used to maintain a safe driving surface.
Roads remaining with an oil surface:
Specific roads are designated, in procedure, to be maintained with an oil surface treatment to help reduce the frequency of maintenance.
| Rge Rd 151, north from Hwy 13 | 0.4 miles |
| Rge Rd 425A, south from Hwy 13 | 1.75 miles |
| Rge Rd 103, south from Twp Rd 425 | 1.0 mile |
| Twp Rd 442, east from Rge Rd 130 | 2.0 miles |
| Rge Rd 130, north of Hwy 13 | 0.2 miles |
The oiled surface road, Twp Rd 442, east from SH 869 for 0.4375 miles will follow the same road ban posting as a gravel road.
*** Year-round road bans will remain on these roads. ***
50% in the spring, 75% in the summer and fall, and 90% in the winter.
Transitioning Oil Roads to Gravel
The following oil surface roads will be transitioned to a gravel surface road as they dehydrate:
- Forestburg South Road – Rge Rd 152, south from Village of Forestburg for 3.5 miles
- Heisler East Road – Twp Rd 430, east from Village of Heisler for 6.0 miles
- Daysland East Road – Twp Rd 452, east from SH 855 for 4.0 miles
- Hardisty North – Rge Rd 95A, west for 1.0 mile to Rge Rd 100
- Hardisty Access – Rge Rd 100A, north from Hwy 13 for 0.35 miles
- Airport Road (Hardisty) – Rge Rd 103, south from Twp Rd 424 for 4.0 miles
- Hardisty West – Town of Hardisty east to Rge Rd 101 for 0.8125 miles
Similar to any other roads that have been transitioned in the past, the County will maintain these roads utilizing the following method. Firstly, it is the County’s responsibility under the MGA to keep roads in a state of responsible repair. With continual inspections, where Public Works determine if the roads need repair and it is unsafe for the speed limit, we will address the specific sections of the road. Those sections will have the Sandvik bar applied which rips up the oil surface in order to properly fix the section. This will apply to the entire width of the road for the identified section. We will not utilize any patching material to repair any unsafe sections.
When the maintenance activity can no longer be viewed as cost effective, the next step will be to determine when a sub-grade preparation is required.
Test Products
New dust suppressant products are tested to determine whether they are effective, affordable, and environmentally suitable.
In 2022 and 2023, a dust suppressant test product called Formula 35 is being applied to sections of Township Road 442 east of Range Road 170 for a total of 1,200 meters.
Formula 35 is a calcium chloride product with a corrosion inhibiter that is sold by the manufacturer as an equivalent to MG 30.
Products that have been tested:
- No Dust Enviro
- No Dust
- Dust Lynx
- Canola Oil
- Durasoil
- Earth Glue
- Magnesium Chloride
Flagstaff County continues to consult with industry and municipalities to seek out new and alternative products. We also continue to perform testing on new dust suppressant products in search of solutions.
Pavement
The following roadways are designated pavement roads:
| ATCO Power Plant Road | Twp Rd 410 to ATCO Power Plant | 1.75 miles |
| County Airport Road | Rge Rd 131, north of Hwy 13 | 0.75 miles |
| Galahad Access Road | Twp Rd 412, west of Hwy 36 | 4.0 miles |