OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sSB-1031
AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF SODIUM CHLORIDE TO
MITIGATE ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS.
Primary Analyst: MR 4/13/21
Contributing Analyst(s): DD, PM, JS
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
State Comptroller - Fringe
Benefits
1
GF - Cost 27,169 37,312
UConn Other - Cost Up to 65,000 Up to 88,000
Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection
salt application
account -
Cost/Revenue
Gain
See Below See Below
Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection
GF - Cost 65,784 90,343
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill requires the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection (DEEP) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to
work with the University of Connecticut (UConn) Technical Transfer
Center to conduct training for roadside salt applicators relying on
municipal guidelines.
This is anticipated to result in a cost to UConn of up to $65,000 in FY
22 and up to $88,000 in FY 23 due to the requirements to offer an
enhanced road salt application training program with additional
1
The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts
administered by the Comptroller. The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost
associated with most personnel changes is 41.3% of payroll in FY 22 and FY 23. 2021SB-01031-R000458-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 4
training sessions. These costs may be defrayed by certification fee
revenue and/or grants, as described below. The bill is also anticipated
to result in costs to DEEP of $65,784 in FY 22 (based on the bill's
effective date) and $90,343 in FY 23, plus additional fringe benefits, for
an Environmental Intern to perform duties under the new certification
program discussed below.
Section 1 requires DEEP and DOT to work with UConn's T2 Center
to offer road salt application trainings to state, municipal, and private
applicators. The bill allows the trainings to be provided by DEEP and
DOT, or UConn's T2 Center.
The estimate assumes the trainings will be provided by UConn's T2
Center (instead of DEEP and DOT) because the center already offers
two similar trainings annually to public sector road salt applicators. If
the trainings are provided by DEEP and DOT instead of the T2 Center,
then there will be minimal costs to UConn to serve in a consultative
role.
It is anticipated the bill's costs to UConn, if it offers the trainings,
may total up to $65,000 in FY 22 (for nine-month costs) and $88,000 in
FY 23 (12-month costs) and annually thereafter, including fringe
benefits. The costs are due to fractional (10 percent) costs for two
leadership-level staff currently employed, half-time costs for a new
Program Coordinator, and part-time costs for a new Instructor. The
personnel-related costs across the positions are an estimated $62,200 in
FY 22 and $85,500 in FY 23.
2
The estimate anticipates other program
expenses of approximately $2,500 annually.
Section 1 also requires that DEEP and DOT to report to the
Environment and Transportation Committees on the training program
within one year. The report must include legislative recommendations
2
The fringe benefit costs for employees funded out of non-appropriated funds are
generally supported by the same source of funding responsible for funding the
position’s salary. The estimated pension and non-pension fringe benefit cost
associated with the identified personnel changes is 49.25% of payroll in FY 22 and FY
23. 2021SB-01031-R000458-FN.DOCX Page 3 of 4
to reduce the effect of sodium chloride on private wells and public
drinking water supplies. This has no fiscal impact as both DEEP and
DOT have the expertise to make legislative recommendations.
If UConn's T2 Center is selected by DEEP as a training provider for
the voluntary certification program, then Section 2 requires that the
certification fee revenue, and/or grants, will cover the costs described
above. The T2 Center currently is funded entirely by grant revenue.
UConn has indicated that it will only offer the trainings if selected as a
certification training provider.
Section 2 establishes a salt applicator certification program within
DEEP, within available resources, and requires DEEP to adopt
regulations to implement the new program. The new certification
program requirements result in a cost to DEEP of $65,784 in FY 22 and
$90,343 in FY 23, and associated fringe benefits of $36,225 and $37,312
respectively, to hire an Environmental Intern to issue certificates to
commercial salt applicators or master certificates to businesses that
apply salt to mitigate ice and snow.
Additionally, Section 2 establishes a separate, non-lapsing "salt
application account", administered by DEEP for the salt applicator
certification program. Fees collected under the new program must be
deposited into this account. This provision results in fees flowing into
(a revenue gain) and expenses being paid out from (costs), the newly
established account. The bill specifies that fees must cover the costs of
training.
3
Section 3 exempts a DEEP-certified commercial applicator, and any
owner, occupant, or lessee of land maintained by the certified
applicator, from liability for damages arising from an insufficiency or
hazard on the property under certain conditions if records are kept.
This is not expected to have a fiscal impact to the state or
3
The bill specifies that the Treasurer may invest funds in the newly established "salt
applicator" account, as under current practice, and any investment interest must be
credited to that account. Also, the bill specifically prohibits the General Fund from
being used for the salt applicator certification program. 2021SB-01031-R000458-FN.DOCX Page 4 of 4
municipalities as public entities are anticipated to maintain their
properties to avoid gross negligence (i.e. properly treated surfaces for
ice and snow).
Additionally, Section 4 requires each local health district, by
January 1, 2022, to establish an electronic reporting system for owners
of homes and wells damaged by sodium chloride run -off. This
requirement has no fiscal impact, as local health districts can establish
these reporting systems within existing resources.
Lastly, Section 5 requires anyone who installs residential water
treatment systems to test drinking water for sodium and chloride
before recommending an automatic water softener or tank. This has no
fiscal impact to the state or municipalities, as the provision applies to
private, third-parties.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.