By now, most Adirondackers have read about Governor Cuomo signing the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act. This important piece of legislation establishes a 15-member task force, three-year pilot plan and a test study in the Adirondacks. The results of the study will lead to recommendations for winter maintenance on state roads no later than 2024. This is good news for us who both enjoy healthy lakes, potable drinking water and safe highways.

But there is another story embedded in the passage of this act, and that is a story of government, at all levels, working at its best; i.e. the ability to find common ground.

An abbreviated history of this bill starts when Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute discovered excessive amounts of salt in Adirondack lakes. Concerned citizens raised money for further exploration of the cause as well as a study of whether well water might also be contaminated. The results of these studies indicated a serious problem and pointed to road salt as the culprit.

One might think the solution is easy—use less road salt as in the good old days prior to the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. But, of course, the solution wasn’t easy. The earliest meetings to discuss solutions immediately turned into strongly expressed opinions on what is more important, clean water or safe highways. The environmental non-governmental organizations, local government officials, highway superintendents, and the State Department of Transportation were each strong of opinion.

But here in the north country this didn’t become a partisan issue. Through the tactful guidance of the Adirondack Watershed Institute, facts were distinguished from opinion, and many discussions were held. Most importantly, legislators participated, and ultimately a bill was ushered through the legislative process sponsored by members of both political parties.

In fact, this topic was included in the 2019 Common Ground Alliance Forum. From that discussion, our local leaders, scientists, advocates, students, homeowners and other stakeholders suggested solutions. This gave impetus for the need of what ultimately became the Randy Preston Act Road Salt Reduction Act.

None of the above would be worth writing about if it were not for the fact that the evening news over and again tells us of the fractious discussions in Washington and the inability to solve problems because it might mean having to compromise.  At the risk of patting ourselves on the back, perhaps here in the Adirondacks our citizens have shown that democracy is alive and well.

– Ross Whaley, Common Ground Alliance Core Team

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