Committee reviews H.86 'SALT' bill to create voluntary chloride-reduction training and limited liability for certified applicators

The Vermont House Environment Committee on April 24 took up H.86, an act to establish a chloride‑combination reduction program administered by the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), commonly called the SALT bill. Legislative counsel Michael Grady and the bill's reporter, Representative Ella Chapin, described a voluntary certification and best‑management practice (BMP) program intended to reduce chloride runoff into state waters while maintaining public safety.

The measure directs ANR, after consulting the Agency of Transportation (AOT) and models used in other states, to develop voluntary education, training and certification for commercial salt applicators and to adopt BMPs for the effective and efficient use of salts and salt alternatives. The bill would offer limited liability protection for applicators and property owners who follow the program's standards; the liability limitation would not apply to gross negligence or deliberate disregard of hazards.

Why it matters: Chloride from road salt and similar materials is increasingly present in Vermont surface waters and, at higher concentrations, harms aquatic habitat and can threaten drinking water supplies. The state already has at least one water body subject to a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for chloride and several others under review; proponents said the bill is intended as a preventive, largely voluntary approach to avoid more prescriptive regulatory remedies.

Key provisions and deadlines - Voluntary program: ANR must create a voluntary training and certification program for commercial salt applicators, based on BMPs that address application rates, calibration, weather decision-making, alternatives…