BILL NUMBER: S9658 Revised 5/20/24
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to establishing the
New York road salt reduction council and the New York road salt
reduction advisory committee
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Establishes the New York road salt reduction council and the New York
road salt reduction advisory committee to provide a mechanism for inter-
agency cooperation and coordination to implement the recommendations of
the report of the Adirondack road salt reduction task force.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 creates a new Article 23 in the transportation law to estab-
lish the New York road salt reduction council and the New York road salt
reduction advisory committee. Article 23 contains 4 subsections:
§ 500, Legislative Findings, determines that recommendations from the
Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force report should be implemented
to protect human health and prevent environmental contamination. Addi-
tionally, that interagency coordination is necessary for implementation
of these recommendations and calling for innovation for winter roadway
safety management.
§ 501, Definitions
§ 502, NY Road Salt Reduction Council, details membership, operating
procedures, legal duties, and reporting requirements
§ 503, NY Road Salt Reduction Advisory Committee, likewise details
membership & duties
Section 2 states the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The quality of our drinking water in NYS is not only a point of pride
and quality of life, but also core to our identity. The secret behind
New York's iconic bagels and pizza is how our water affects dough.
Roughly 220,000 people get their water from the Adirondack Mountains,
the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States.
Horrifically, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection recently
reported freshwater salinization could become an "existential threat" to
freshwater supplies if no action is taken. The alarming increase in
salinity has also led to acidification in streams, mobilization of toxic
metals, and allowed for invasive saltwater species while increasing
stress and mortality of freshwater organisms. Numerous studies identify
road salt as a primary driver of freshwater salinization nationwide.
This legislation establishes a council and advisory committee, composed
of stakeholders and the state's brightest minds, to monitor and combat
road salt threatening our drinking water supply and magnificent ecosys-
tems.
Sources:
*Food & Wine:
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/new-york-water-bagels-
pizza :-:text=Beyond%20the%20tastec4/
020though%20(and,finished%20produce/020tougher%20and%20stronger.
*Adirondack Explorer. https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/the-
water-line :-:text---There %20are%20mor
e%20thanc,v020100,by%20far%20the%20two%201argest.
*Dep. of Env. Protection, Salinity Management Assessment
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
TBD.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.