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Committee debates scope of salt-and-sand storage inventory; private sheds question unresolved
Summary
Members discussed a draft requirement for a Jan. 15, 2026 report inventorying salt and sand storage facilities and estimating remediation costs; Agency of Natural Resources asked to exclude private facilities, and the committee deferred final direction.
The Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee discussed draft language that would require a report to the General Assembly, due Jan. 15, 2026, inventorying facilities that store salt and sand and estimating the cost to cover storage to reduce runoff risks.
Legislative staff described the proposed report as listing facilities where deicing salt or stockpiled sand is stored, identifying those within 100 yards of a drinking-water source, and providing an estimate of the total cost to bring storage facilities into compliance with proposed standards. The draft mirrored a transportation committee amendment but differed on whether to include private facilities in the inventory.
Staff said the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) had requested that private facilities be excluded from the inventory; ANR indicated it did not know whether it could cover private facilities. Committee members expressed a preference to exclude private sites initially to make the inventory more feasible, but no final decision was made. Members said they would hold the item for further discussion and possible amendment.
No formal vote was taken during the meeting; staff said the committee would wait to see whether judiciary or other committees resolve outstanding questions about the remainder of the salt program before moving forward.
