Overdue panel charged with preventing further pollution
By Zachary Matson
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday named the members of a promised state task force charged with studying road salt use in the Adirondacks.
The 10 overdue appointees announced by the governor will join representatives from the state Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Health and Adirondack Park Agency as they set out to review current salt use practices and make recommendations to minimize future use.
The governor’s direct nominees include former DEC Commissioner Joe Martens; Adirondack Watershed Institute Executive Director Dan Kelting; Megan Phillips, vice president of conservation at the Adirondack Council; and Kristine Stepenuck, a professor at the University of Vermont.
Legislative leaders were also able to recommend appointments. The Senate Democrats nominated Phil Sexton, a consultant working with towns across the park interested in reducing salt use, and Robert Kafin, a longtime environmental lawyer in the Adirondacks.
The Assembly Democrats recommended Brittany Christenson, executive director of ADK Action, which has advocated for nearly a decade around reducing salt use in the park, and Gerald Delaney, executive director of the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board.
The Senate Republicans recommended Kevin Hajos, the superintendent of public works for Warren County, and the Assembly Republicans recommended Tracy Eldridge, the Hamilton County superintendent of highways.
“Protecting our environment is a high priority to my administration and nominations to this task force are long overdue,” Hochul said. “I have no doubt that this group of individuals will work tirelessly to protect our state from the adverse effects of road salt. We look forward to seeing this group finally convene and make progress in preventing further pollution to our waterways and our environment.”
The task force, though, is already behind on its work. The bipartisan legislation, which was signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo over a year ago, required the task force to submit an initial report by Dec. 1.
That report is supposed to include an overall assessment of the “nature, scope and magnitude of associated impacts of road salt” on surface water and groundwater in the Adirondack Park. The report should also include a review of current road management practices; initial recommendations to improve road salt use; an estimate of costs and liability considerations associated with changed road management practices; and proposed road salt reduction targets. The panel is also charged with recommending a road salt pilot program that can be used to monitor the impacts of new road management practices.
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Clean water advocates hope the report will serve as a comprehensive source of information on the challenges of road salt contamination in the park and a roadmap to minimizing the environmental and health impacts of that salt use.
While road salt contamination has been a concern of Adirondack advocates for decades, recent studies of groundwater wells have suggested state road crews are the major contributor to contamination in the park. The state has implemented a handful of salt reduction pilot programs, including along the western shore of Lake George, but advocates have called on state officials to do more to reduce their salt use.
Some local municipalities, especially ones clustered near Lake George, have expanded the use of brine mixes, close-edge plows and data tracking systems to reduce their use of salt. The Town of Hague, for example, has reduced its salt use by around two-thirds inthe past six years.
The road salt task force will work to establish another pilot program in the Adirondacks.
“Road salt has caused irrevocable damage to our environment and waterways, contaminating drinking water supply for homeowners for far too long,” Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, said. “It is great news that the governor has approved the appointments to the Adirondack road salt reduction task force so that the state can implement a pilot plan and test program.”
Well it’s about time! As a former plow truck operator for the Town of Lake George I have had the pleasure to work with Phil Sexton, good choice. Starting 7yrs ago under then hi-way supervisor Dan Davis we reduced salt use by close to 40% in one season, it can be done. But also we must educate the driving public winter roads can be hazardous so be prepared, such as studded snow tires.
Happy with the make-up of the selected individuals. Their task shall take time. In meantime, Route 30 that skirts our Lake Clear deserves “reduced Salt Designation”!
A shout out to @Chip Dodson. You are a true example of what I’ve been saying for the past 10 years… “The answers and solutions are achieved by those driving the trucks”… When they are empowered and allowed to.” Chip is one of those heros of the winter (now since retired), that has proven what works if you simply let them.