Bob Grazer

My wife and I support HB 1607 setting rules on the storage and management of road salts. Our house I located between State Highway 113 and Silver Lake in Madison. While we have our 200’ driveway plowed for snow greater than 3 or 4 inches, we shovel ourselves for snow less than 2-3 inches. We are grateful for roads that are cleared and safe shortly after snowfall; we are concerned about the amount of salt used that we see and shovel along 113, 100 feet from our well. NHDES reports that chloride contamination in wells has increased 150% in the past 30 years. Their analysis shows that 50% of this is due to private salting of parking lots; 36% from public salting of roads and 9% from salt piles. Since chloride doesn’t break down, the contamination in wells is due not only to recently applied salt but more importantly, salt applied over the past 30 to 40 years. Thirty years plus is the time it takes for contaminated groundwater to reach bedrock aquifers. Our well is in a bedrock aquifer. Please support this bill to protect our drinking water and the water used by many throughout New Hampshire.