An Act amending the act of June 1, 1945 (P.L.1242, No.428), known as the State Highway Law, in special provisions affecting local authorities, providing for Road Salt Management Best Practices Guide.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 671 PRINTER'S NO. 2417
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 664
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, KENYATTA, PIELLI,
KHAN, GIRAL, BRENNAN, HOWARD, D. WILLIAMS, MALAGARI, OTTEN,
FRIEL, SALISBURY AND KAZEEM, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
OCTOBER 7, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 1, 1945 (P.L.1242, No.428), entitled
"An act relating to roads, streets, highways and bridges;
amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws
administered by the Secretary of Highways and by the
Department of Highways relating thereto," in special
provisions affecting local authorities, providing for Road
Salt Management Best Practices Guide.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 1, 1945 (P.L.1242, No.428), known
as the State Highway Law, is amended by adding a section to
read:
Section 912. Road Salt Management Best Practices Guide.--(a)
Within one year of the effective date of this subsection, the
department, in consultation with the Department of Environmental
Protection, shall develop the Road Salt Management Best
Practices Guide for use by local jurisdictions and the
Commonwealth to minimize the adverse environmental impacts of
road salt runoff.
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(b) The department shall annually update the guide required
under subsection (a) and shall make the guide available to the
public on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.
(c) In the guide, the department may:
(1) Establish RECOMMEND best management practices that
protect the environment from the negative impacts of road salt.
(2) Identify all activities that may result in the release
of road salt into the environment, including road salt storage,
the application of road salt on highways and the disposal of
snow that contains road salt.
(3) Take into consideration highway safety to the greatest
extent possible.
(4) Establish RECOMMEND standards and procedures for
identifying:
(i) areas that are particularly vulnerable to road salt
runoff; and
(ii) additional road salt management practices that need to
be implemented in those areas.
(5) Establish RECOMMEND goals for achieving a reduction of
the environmental impact of road salt released into the
environment.
(6) Include recommendations for a model training program for
all State, local and contract personnel who perform winter
maintenance activities involving the use of road salt.
(7) Establish RECOMMEND response procedures to address
uncontrolled releases of road salt that may adversely impact the
environment.
(8) Establish recordkeeping and annual reporting procedures
for the quantity of road salt used, the locations where the road
salt is used and any training conducted. FOR COMMONWEALTH
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AGENCIES RELATED TO ROAD SALT USAGE, TRAINING PROGRAMS,
APPLICATION METHODS AND OTHER RELEVANT CONSIDERATIONS AS MAY BE
DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY THE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE
RELEVANT GUIDANCE ON ACCEPTABLE THRESHOLDS OF ROAD SALT USAGE,
PROMOTE SAFE ROAD TRAVEL AND PREVENT THE OVERUSE OF ROAD SALT.
THE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR A MUNICIPALITY
OR OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH.
(d) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Transportation of the
Commonwealth.
"Guide." The Road Salt Management Best Practices Guide
required under this section.
"ROAD SALT." SOLID CHEMICAL PRODUCTS STORED AND UTILIZED FOR
THE PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF DE-ICING ROADWAYS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SODIUM CHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM
CHLORIDE, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, CALCIUM MAGNESIUM ACETATE, POTASSIUM
ACETATE AND MIXTURES THEREOF. THE TERM SHALL NOT INCLUDE OIL-
RELATED AND GAS-RELATED WASTEWATER, TOPHOLE WATER, PRODUCTION
WATER OF ANY TYPE, BRINE OR WASTEWATER SLUDGE FROM CONVENTIONAL
OR UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS WELLS.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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