Road salt oversight bill passes Senate, stalls in Assembly

Legislation would establish committee to monitor efforts to reduce road salt use

By Zachary Matson

For a second straight year, a bill that would establish oversight of the state’s work to reduce road salt use passed the Senate before stalling out in the Assembly. 

Supported by Adirondack advocacy organizations and local lawmakers, the legislation would establish a council made up of representatives from state agencies and non-governmental organizations to guide the state’s implementation of recommendations to reduce road salt use. 

The bill also establishes an advisory committee of outside experts and mandates increased transparency into the purchase, storage and use of road salt across the state.  

The proposed New York road salt reduction council, under the legislation, would be charged with proposing regulatory limits of road salt use by 2028, balancing environmental concerns with the need to maintain clear roads. It would also be required to prepare an annual report and regularly share data about salt use and impacts with the public.

The bill would also establish a separate advisory committee with representatives from the Adirondack Watershed Institute, Adirondack Council, Lake George Association, Cornell University, a regional snow and ice management association and other groups as well as individual appointees.

After the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force released a report of recommendations in 2023, advocacy groups have sought ways to ensure the report’s proposals are carried out. The legislation was developed with that goal in mind. 

Modeled after the state’s Invasive Species Council, the legislation aims to establish a structure for cooperation among state agencies like the Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Conservation and a transparent process for those conversations.

The Senate passed a similar bill last June, as the legislative session neared a close, but it did not get a vote in the Assembly. The Senate earlier this month passed the bill on a 44 to 14 vote, but the Assembly did not take it up before the end of session. Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, voted in favor of the bill both years.