Helps Implement Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force Recommendations
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today highlighted $15 million to help protect water quality by promoting proper salt storage and application. The funding is part of up to $215 million in grant funding currently available through the Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program, a competitive, statewide reimbursement grant program that supports implementation projects that directly improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protect a drinking water source. A total of $15 million focuses on road salt application best management practices and proper salt storage statewide and helps fulfill a recommendation by the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force.
“The Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force identified the need to advance and incentivize best management practices for adoption by local governments and other public organizations involved in winter road maintenance,” Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “Working with our partners at the State Department of Transportation, the new eligible project types in WQIP directly implement Task Force recommendations and provide resources for communities statewide to reduce road salt impacts.”
DEC and the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) collaborated to update DEC’s WQIP grant and Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning Grant (NPG) to include new eligible project types focused on various activities that reduce road salt applications and help protect public health and the environment. The funding is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent announcement of nearly $300 million in new grant opportunities to build upon New York’s sustained investments to protect communities from the devastating impacts of climate change, particularly those communities most vulnerable to pollution, flooding, extreme heat, and other effects of a warming climate. The specific funding related to salt comes from the State’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act.
“It is inherent in the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to protect the environment and we take very seriously the need to balance public safety on the roads with the important work of protecting water quality,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. “The funding available from our partners at the Department of Environmental Conservation will allow us to continue the momentum established by the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force and help local governments develop their own best practices for salt use and storage, which will advance public safety while protecting the environment.”
Released last month as part of the New York State Consolidated Funding Application, the expanded WQIP road salt eligible projects focus on implementation of road salt reduction best management practices (BMPs) recommended by the Task Force, while the new NPG road salt eligible project focuses on planning for implementation by creating community-led winter road maintenance plans.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday, July 31, at 4 p.m. Below are direct links to the Request for Applications (RFAs):
DEC recently issued a fact sheet to help communities understand the State’s recommendations on how to best construct salt storage facilities. The new winter road maintenance plan project type in the NPG helps encourage communities to begin thinking about more environmentally friendly methods of winter road maintenance and plan for their implementation. This new project type within NPG also directly implements the Task Force recommendation to provide “funding to support a winter road maintenance planning report category in NPG.”
New York's Continued Commitment to Implementing Recommendations of the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force
In addition to the funding opportunities announced today, New York remains committed to implementing recommendations from the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force. This includes a commitment to review water quality standards that may help reduce the impacts from road salt on the environment and public health such as that for chloride. DEC is reviewing existing water quality standards regulations as part of its required Triennial Water Quality Standards Review under the Clean Water Act. As part of the Triennial Review, DEC recently released an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) to solicit public feedback on priority updates to water quality standards. The ANPRM is providing a 180-day public input period as an opportunity to provide input on the need for new chloride standards, among others, building on the recommendations from the Task Force. More information is available in the New York State Register and DEC’s website.
New York's Commitment to Water Quality
New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure, including $325 million in Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA), up to $215 million in WQIP, and other water quality in grant opportunities currently available.
With $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in the 2024-2025 enacted State Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $5.5 billion in water infrastructure between 2017 and this year. Governor Hochul’s State of the State initiative increased water infrastructure grants from 25 to 50 percent of net eligible project costs for wastewater projects to help support smaller communities. To leverage these investments and ensure ongoing coordination with local governments, the Governor expanded EFC’s Community Assistance Teams to help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities leverage this funding and address their clean water infrastructure needs. Any community that needs help with their water infrastructure needs is encouraged to contact EFC.
The funding is in addition to other substantial water quality investments, including the voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, which is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. The first round of funding under the Environmental Bond Act was awarded through the WIIA/IMG programs in December 2023, when Governor Hochul announced $479 million in grants to 156 projects across New York State. Disadvantaged communities will receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of Bond Act funding, with a goal of 40 percent. Governor Hochul also sustained record funding for the Environmental Protection Fund at $400 million in the State Budget.
