FREDERICTON, N.B. — The Maritime Road Development Corporation (MRDC) says the use of road salt in the winter months has become more sophisticated.

Last year, the federal environment department ruled that winter road salt is toxic to plant and animal life and plan to cut down on its use.

The MRDC says the concern should be indiscriminate use or overuse, but should not cut back on the amount. They say a brine solution, which is sprayed between the lines, as opposed to salt dropped from a truck is a more efficient way to apply salt to the icy roads.

Ralph Boyd, president of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, says he hopes the government will weigh their options carefully before cutting back, because salt is still the best way to treat slippery roads.

Boyd says there is more of a science to it now, which will cut down on superfluous use of salt. He says the amount used in New Brunswick will not be harmful to the environment.