House Appropriations Committee votes to advance bill creating voluntary chloride-reduction program, but full implementation awaits funding

The House Appropriations Committee on April 8 advanced S.218, a bill that would create a voluntary chloride contamination reduction program at the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and require ANR to report on municipal and state salt and sand storage facilities.

The legislation would direct ANR to adopt best management practices (BMPs) and offer voluntary training and certification for commercial salt applicators and a master-certification option for businesses. Certified applicators would submit annual summaries of winter salt use and keep records required by ANR. The bill also provides an affirmative defense in certain lawsuits for applicators who can show they implemented the BMPs and maintained the required records, while preserving plaintiffs’ access to courts.

The measure matters because Vermont must identify impaired waters and, when impairments exist, develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) under federal and state water-quality law. Mike Grama of Legislative Council told the committee that chloride is an increasing water-quality stressor in Vermont, with nine waters…