House committee weighs $4/ton fee on bulk road salt to fund Green Snow Pro grants and reduce chloride pollution
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
HB 1810 would add a $4 per ton fee on bulk road salt to create a DES‑managed mitigation fund for grants toward Green Snow Pro certification, equipment and storage; DES and lake groups backed the approach to curb rising chloride in lakes and wells, while DOT and DRA noted costs and administrative requirements.
Representative Will Darby presented HB 1810, which would assess a $4 fee on bulk road salt and equivalents with proceeds placed into a Salt Road Mitigation Fund administered by the Department of Environmental Services (DES). The sponsor said the fee would finance grants to commercial and municipal operators to adopt Green Snow Pro practices—certification, brine systems, storage improvements and equipment upgrades—to reduce salt application and protect drinking water and lakes.
Technical testimony: Ted Diers (DES) summarized environmental monitoring that shows a statewide rise in chlorides (DES cited a doubling in surface‑water chlorides over 30 years and substantial increases in groundwater), explained the voluntary Green Snow Pro certification and said the new fund would underwrite expensive upfront equipment and storage upgrades for municipalities and small commercial applicators. Alan Hanscomb (NHDOT) estimated the $4 fee would raise DOT's winter‑maintenance costs by roughly 2% (about $785k–$800k annually on state salt purchases) and said DOT may qualify for some grants but likely not enough to offset all new costs; DOT noted existing winter‑maintenance budgets are underfunded.
DRA and administration: Jennifer Ramsey (DRA) reviewed implementation mechanics and said DRA can administer a commodity‑based fee (similar to tobacco collection), but there would be system‑development costs (previous bill notes included a $248k systems cost and staffing requests in related items). DES described grant administration plans and said municipalities, commercial contractors and DOT would be eligible for grants to offset equipment and storage costs.
Stakeholder testimony: New Hampshire Lakes and local municipal representatives supported the bill, citing public‑health and economic risks from degrading water quality and suggesting grant funding would reduce long‑term treatment and replacement costs for wells and infrastructure.
Next steps: The committee closed the hearing; DRA and agency witnesses signaled work needed on eligibility rules, reporting, and a funding plan for grant priorities before moving to a work session.