MINNEAPOLIS -- A freshwater chloride contamination study shows that many lakes in the Twin Cities are so contaminated with road salt that they'll no longer support native fish and plants within three decades.

The study, published Monday, looked at freshwater contamination across the country's northern region, an area with one of the highest lake densities on earth. Among the lakes
studied, researchers found that lakes in Minneapolis and St. Paul are some of the saltiest.

Many local governments are succeeding in reducing salt use partly due to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's program to educate people on how to use less salt without compromising safety.

The Environmental Protection Agency's legal pollution standard for salt is 230 milligrams per liter, or one teaspoon per five gallons of water.

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