Senate committee advances bill requiring monthly and annual reporting on cloud seeding

Senator Tammy Nichols, D-10, told the Senate Resources & Environment Committee she sponsored Senate Bill 10-64 to add definitions and require new reporting that would make cloud seeding operations more transparent.

The bill would require operators to file monthly operational reports and an annual package to the Idaho Water Resource Board that includes operational data, environmental impact assessments, descriptions of public engagement, and metrics on program effectiveness, Nichols said. "One of the primary goals of this bill is to increase transparency surrounding cloud seeding operations," Nichols said.

The measure drew a mix of support and caution from testifiers. Sarah Allstadt, testifying virtually, cited a 2024 U.S. Government Accountability Office review and urged stronger reporting because, she said, "reliable information is lacking on the conduct of optimal effective cloud seeding and its benefits and effects." Taylor Van Arsdale, who identified herself as a landscape business owner, flagged environmental concerns about silver iodide, saying the chemical is "nearly insoluble in water" and that the Environmental Protection Agency lacks data to make a risk determination. Melissa Blevins of Caldwell said published experimental work on Idaho cloud seeding has produced mixed results and noted a comment that the Idaho Water Resource Board receives about $10,000,000 a year for cloud seeding programs.

Paul Arrington of the Idaho Water Users Association told the committee stakeholders had been consulted during drafting and that the group supports sending the bill to the amending order for adjustments. Committee members asked where required reporting would be housed and whether the bill creates a new fiscal burden; Arrington and the sponsor said the board already publishes annual reports and the bill primarily codifies existing practices.

After the public testimony and brief questions from committee members, Senator Harris moved and Senator Hart seconded to send the bill to the fourteenth order for possible amendment. The motion carried.

The committee's action sends the bill to the next stage of amendment and committee consideration; no final enactment occurred at the hearing.

The transcript shows stakeholders and state agencies took part in drafting definitions and reporting provisions; proponents framed the change as clarifying existing law and making ongoing reporting more consistently available online.