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by Paul Bean
A Senate bill to control road salt pollution notably exempts the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) from the bill’s requirements while asking municipalities and private businesses to comply.
This week the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy will receive testimony on S.29, an act to establish the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program at the Agency of Natural Resources. The bill focuses on reducing chloride contamination from road salt which is impacting Vermont’s water quality and ecosystems.
Language of the bill specifically defines commercial salt applicator and municipal salt applicator but excludes language defining the Agency of Transportation as an applicator. It also excludes salt application on state infrastructure construction sites. “The program shall include best management practices for application of salt or salt alternatives by commercial salt applicators and municipal salt applicators,” says S.29. “…but the program shall specifically exclude salt applications related to transportation infrastructure construction projects.”
After reviewing S.29, the Town of Williston Department of Public Works criticized the bill in a document addressed to the Committee questioning “why the Vermont Department of Transportation (VTrans) would be exempt from the requirements…. Similarly, it is unclear why VTrans projects would be exempt from the proposed bill. Without clear and reasonable justification, we urge that VTrans projects also be held to the same standards as other projects under the bill.”
“If they’re going to do this no one should be exempt and everyone should have to comply,” said Sen. Terry Williams, a member of the committee. “They’re trying to get private contractors to comply with this voluntarily, and that’s going to be a challenge unless you give them a carrot. If you want to know how much we are using, we got to know how much is coming into the State. This bill doesn’t include Home Depot, Lowes, etc. That’s all got to be put into the equations.”
“No one really knows what the bill is about and what the consequences are…It’s not a bad idea, but there’s more to it than meets the eye, but I am not quite sure who’s pushing it,” Williams said.
Christine Dougherty, the Assistant Director of Public Works in Williston, will give testimony on the bill today in committee.
See all bills assigned to this committee here. Constituents may contact committee members (click link on name for bio, party affiliation, etc.) with comments, questions and information at the following email addresses:
Anne Watson, Washington County, Chair, awatson@leg.state.vt.us
Terry Williams, Rutland, Vice Chair, Twilliams@leg.state.vt.us
Ruth Hardy, Addison, rhardy@leg.state.vt.us
Seth Bongartz, Bennington, sbongartz@leg.state.vt.us
Scott Beck, Caledonia, sbeck@leg.state.vt.us
All committee transcripts are available at www.goldendomevt.com. Committee meeting video available at the committee’s YouTube channel. The committee meets in the morning in Room 8.
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Categories: Environment, Legislation, Transportation
This is too funny and too typical of Montpelier, they have no problem making their lives easier and richer, not so much for the rest of us.
Need permits for our special pet projects, we’ll change the zoning, even if the town doesn’t want it through the regional planning.
Trouble with school finance….we’ll change the rules on that too, to our liking of course!
Yep, Montpelier at its best.
What’s the problem? This is what Vermont residents vote for. Laws that collect up their freedoms and give the almighty state unlimited power.
Everyone knows the damages we get from salt. Environmentally as well as vehicles. But is that the whole equation ? If salt damages our water, lawns on properties, and corodes metal on cars, that why do all towns have a special budget just for sale ? OH, THAT’S RIGHT ❗ It was about safety❓ Slipping on steps and sidewalks from ice breaking arms legs, or worse. Car accidents slipping on ice and snow where people die ❗ I thought that was the point. At least it use to be, the whole point a portion of Vermont towns budget was set aside for salt. Were Vermonter’s just being stupid, or were they concerned about safety. VTRAN doesn’t care for most towns, which has hills, winding roads, which get just as much snow and ice as Vermont Interstates and Highways. Finding an equivalent to salt seems a more important issue than Montpelier writing a bill eliminating its use, without regard to safety.
So….stormwater runoff……My “neighborhood” is now being forced to hire ECI (they seem to be getting all the contracts, hmmm) to mitigate our stormwater because of the 3.5 acre, hard-surface, bill. They’ve shoved it down our throats; schools and other entities that can pay, are paying a big bill. Traditional neighborhoods pay nothing. HOA…..you pay. Our current runoff pond consistently has six inches of water with 12 foot high walls.
At the same time the state dumps salt indiscriminately on our roadways. They do it pre-snow, during snow, and post-snow. No rules, no end, lots of pollution to our precious waterways, AND and giant mess. Did I mention our rusted out vehicles?
Farmers continue to dump liquid manure on their fields, many that border streams and rivers or even the lake itself. (Champlain)
Burlington’s sewage still goes directly to the lake during rain.
But yes, make the people pay more for their streets and roofs that shed rain, exempt the state from any fault and allow them to continue their pollution. Allow farmers to manure the fields and don’t fine them when they’re out of compliance; they’re VT farms ya know…
None of this makes sense