Imposes a fee on bulk road salt, road salt mix, and brine sold in New Hampshire, to be collected and remitted annually by certified sellers and deposited into a road salt mitigation fund supporting certified winter road maintenance practices.
relative to a road salt fee to support certified winter road maintenance practices.
It is clear that the salt and road maintenance services do damage to the environment immediately around the historic road on which I live. This bill adding a nominal cost towards funding any cutback to the negative environment impacts which I can readily see, is money well spent. Thank you.
I’ve seen excessive use of salt on some of our roadways, and I have seen the impact on roadside vegetation and on vehicles. This bill is win-win, helping the environment on which we all depend while promoting best practices to get the most from our salt applications and perhaps find alternatives.
The State should be working towards maintaining our highways and roads with minimal salt application, and no salt at all as soon as possible. I am President of the Canaan Lake Association, and the contamination from road salt has contaminated water supply wells adjacent to Canaan Street (a State maintained highway) that the State has paid to rehabilitate. The chloride concentration in the Lake is now on the verge of threatening aquatic life. The contamination of our water bodies decreases recreational opportunities and lowers property values for lakeshore and other negatively impacts nearby businesses. Charging a fee as a means to save funds for future conversions to salt-free road maintenance makes economic and environmental sense. Note that the cost to the State of NH of re-habilitating salt-contaminated water wells is part of the cost of salt application.
Better salt management will have a direct impact on lake water quality. Our lakes need protection and oversight. Their economic impact is immense.
Salinity levels in NH's water bodies have increased significantly, threatening drinking water supply and aquatic life including fish and the organisms they feed on. Municipalities are interested in reducing the negative impact of salt and other ice-reduction products if there is a safe and cost-effective way to do so. Establishing this fund would help municipalities protect their water supply and the recreational resources that support their economies.
Testimony on New Hampshire HB1810: An Intersectional Perspective New Hampshire's HB1810, which introduces a fee on bulk road salt to fund winter maintenance practices, aims at addressing environmental issues like groundwater contamination and infrastructure damage. However, by analyzing this bill through an intersectional lens, we can uncover potential adverse impacts, identify beneficiaries, and highlight those who may suffer due to its implementation. Adverse Underpinnings of HB1810 Implementation of the Road Salt Fee The imposition of a $4 per ton fee on bulk road salt and related materials might appear beneficial for environmental sustainability, but it carries several unintended consequences: Financial Burden on Municipalities: Smaller municipalities, often already strained for resources, might find it challenging to absorb these additional costs. This fee could lead to financial austerity measures, jeopardizing public services or community safety during winter months. Increased Costs for Consumers: Fees incurred by municipalities and businesses may ultimately be passed on to consumers in the form of increased taxes or service charges, disproportionately affecting low- and moderate-income households. Potential Environmental Misalignment While aiming to fund the Road Salt Mitigation Program, the bill's impact may not align with its environmental goals: Environmental Justice Issues: Communities that rely heavily on winter road maintenance practices may not have the financial flexibility to adopt best practices. Low-income neighborhoods may continue suffering from the adverse effects of road salt contamination without sufficient funding or technical support. Disproportionate Effects on Rural Areas: Rural municipalities, often facing more severe winter conditions, are likely to incur higher salt usage and therefore higher costs. This may exacerbate existing economic inequalities by straining budgets in areas that can least afford it. Conclusion: An Inclusive Perspective While HB1810 is designed to promote sustainable practices regarding winter road maintenance, it risks widening economic and environmental disparities. The financial burden imposed on smaller municipalities and low-income families may counteract the positive environmental intentions of the bill. Advocates must ensure that the implementation of HB1810 includes provisions for equitable funding and technical assistance, particularly for the most affected communities. This approach will help to balance the financial impacts while maximizing the environmental benefits, fostering a truly inclusive and effective policy.
I support this bill because New Hampshire’s lakes and waterways are essential to our quality of life and our economy. They attract visitors and new residents, support our businesses and schools, and help provide the workforce our communities and employers need to grow. Road salt runoff can contaminate groundwater and surface waters, harming lakes and rivers and contributing to harmful cyanobacteria blooms, all of which discourage vacationer and new residents. This bill establishes a modest $4 per ton fee, providing funds would help municipalities, businesses, and the state invest in certified winter maintenance practices, including better equipment and training that reduce salt use, improve efficiency, and lower long-term operating and cleanup costs. By helping communities use salt more effectively, this bill protects water quality while saving taxpayer dollars and maintaining safe winter roads.
While this will result in increased costs for many municipalities and businesses, having the state direct efforts on this front, if done in a thoughtful manner and improved as necessary over time, should benefit the entire state as a whole in terms of pollution and water quality. Thank you!
It’s long been known that road salt ends up in freshwater bodies, changing the chemistry and harming plants and animals. It’s imperative that something be done!
My wife and I support HB 1810 creating a fund to support salt reduction best practices. Our house I located between State Highway 113 and Silver Lake in Madison. While we have our 200’ driveway plowed for snow greater than 3 or 4 inches, we shovel ourselves for snow less than 2-3 inches. We are grateful for roads that are cleared and safe shortly after snowfall; we are concerned about the amount of salt used that we see and shovel along 113, 100 feet from our well. NDES reports that chloride contamination in wells has increased 150% in the past 30 years. Their analysis shows that 50% of this is due to private salting of parking lots; 36% from public salting of roads and 9% from salt piles. Since chloride doesn’t break down, the contamination in wells is due not only to recently applied salt but more importantly, salt applied over the past 30 to 40 years. Thirty years plus is the time it takes for contaminated groundwater to reach bedrock aquifers. Our well is drilled into a bedrock aquifer. Please support this bill to protect our drinking water and the water used by many throughout New Hampshire.
The exposure of our environment to salt must be limited to whatever degree possible. The excessive use of salt must be curtailed.
"Salt" chemicals are a threat to drinking water safety and lake water quality. Better controlling their use, with more eduction about good practices, will help cut down on what is visibly an overuse of salt on our highways and sidewalks. Sarety matters -- but often way more than needed is used. Establishing a fee to fund best practices is important!
It is critical to prevent salt from seeping into our lakes and soil.
While I recognize the contribution to safety that comes from salting roads, too often I see mounds of salt deposited on the road surface after all the ice has melted. This excess salt ends up in our rivers, lakes, and groundwater and has negative effects on aquatic flora and fauna. In addition, it fosters the growth of cyanobacteria. Instituting a fee on salt would encourage best practices to use only the amount needed for safety.
My name is Karen Bemis and I live and vote in Bristol, and recreate in beautiful Newfound Lake. I SUPPORT this bill because road salt runoff can contaminate groundwater, surface water and can harm lakes, river and aquatic ecosystems. These conditions not only favor cyanobacteria blooms, but also could have an effect on tourism, an industry many Granite State businesses rely on.
I support this fee structure to provide a dedicated funding source for municipalities to reduce salt pollution, improve public water protection, and support safer and more effective winter road maintenance.
Road salt runoff can contaminate groundwater and surface water, harming lakes, rivers, and aquatic ecosystems—including conditions that favor cyanobacteria blooms. The fee provides a dedicated funding source (estimated at $4 million annually) to reduce salt pollution, improve public water protection, and support safer and more effective winter road maintenance. State and municipal costs are expected to be modest and partially offset by grant funding and more effective use of materials
Our environment in New Hampshire is critical to our economy. Everything we can do to protect it will have significant economic and financial benefits.
I support this bill because the quality of the lakes have been declining and Cyanobacteria has been more prevalent
I support this bill which establishes a $4 per ton fee on bulk road salt, road salt mix, and brine sold in New Hampshire, collected by certified bulk sellers and deposited into a new Road Salt Mitigation Fund. It is important that communities adopt best practices to reduce road salt which contaminates our state's aquatic ecosystems (lakes, rivers, wetlands, etc). Grants from this new fund will help make this happen.
Cyanobacteria is found in most lakes to some degree. It becomes problematic and even toxic in some cases when it blooms near the surface. This can force beach closures and influence the economy of the lake regions that so many of us depend on. Unfortunately global warming is causing this to happen more frequently. Other causes though, are more easily controlled, like excess nutrient loading, reduction in zooplankton and insects that feed on the cyanobacteria and salt runoff. Road salt runoff can contaminate groundwater and surface water, harming aquatic ecosystems—including conditions that favor cyanobacteria blooms. The fee provides a dedicated funding source to help towns take steps toward reversing this huge problem. I urge you to support this bill. Respectfully submitted, Karin Nelson, Moultonboro Milfoil Committee
I respectfully ask that you support this bill for the health of our wonderful NH lakes. Road salt runoff can contaminate groundwater & surface water, harming lakes, rivers, and aquatic ecosystems—including conditions that favor cyanobacteria blooms. The fee provides a dedicated funding source (estimated at $4 million annually) to reduce salt pollution, improve public water protection, and support safer and more effective winter road maintenance. I spent much time throughout the year on Squam Lake and parts of that lake are quite close to roads, thus making the proper and limited use of road salt extremely important for the health of the lake.
I support this bill to protect NH waterways from excessive contamination.
The prevalence of icy winter roads is becoming more frequent in NH due to changes in climate, leading to greater use of road salt. The application of salt on roads, driveways, parking lots and other surfaces has an environmental impact. When snow and ice melt, the road salt runs off into freshwater systems, including lakes, rivers and groundwater resources like wells. Ongoing studies show that rising levels of salt in these systems is detrimental to human health and that of aquatic plants and animals. Chloride makes up about 60 percent of road salt, and can also be detrimental. Elevated amounts of this chemical is toxic to plants and animals, including humans. Chloride also corrodes infrastructure like bridges and pipes and pollutes soil, posing not only environmental and health risks but also safety risks. For these reasons, establishing a road salt fee to fund salt reduction best practices is not only vital to the overall environment, our health and safety, but also to the economy of NH where outdoor tourism, and specifically the the enjoyment of our lakes, is a major revenue driver. Better training in best practices for road maintenance and the more effective use of materials is a great step toward the protection of our water bodies. Thank you.
I support this bill, and hope you will, too, because it will help to reduce salt pollution, improve public water protection, and support safer and more effective winter road maintenance. Road salt runoff can create conditions that favor cyanobacteria blooms in NH lakes.