3548

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

RESOLVED, That the task force report its findings and
recommendations to the General Assembly by December 31, 1986; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That staff for the task force be provided by the
Department of Legislative Reference; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be forwarded by the
Department of Legislative Reference to the Honorable William K.
Hellmann, Secretary, Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 8755,
BWI Airport, Baltimore, MD 21240; the Honorable Torrey C. Brown,
Secretary, Department of Natural Resources, Tawes State Office
Bldg., Annapolis, MD 21401; the Honorable Adele Wilzack,
Secretary, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 201 W.
Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be forwarded by the
Department of Legislative Reference to the Honorable Harry
Hughes, Governor of Maryland, the Honorable Melvin A. Steinberg,
President of the Senate of Maryland, and the Honorable Benjamin
L. Cardin, Speaker of the House of Delegates.

Signed May 13, 1986.

No. 19

(House Joint Resolution No. 45)

A House Joint Resolution concerning

Department of Transportation - Highways - Salt

FOR the purpose of requesting the Department of Transportation to
study the economic and environmental impact of using salt to
remove ice from highways and to evaluate and recommend
alternatives.

WHEREAS, Public safety and the free flow of commerce require
that highways be maintained free of dangerous ice and snow; and

WHEREAS, The State currently uses potentially dangerous
deicing salts to remove ice and snow from highways; and

WHEREAS, The use of salt for deicing highways has been found
to have a severe environmental impact, including destruction of
roadside soils and vegetation, contamination of surface and
groundwater supplies, and the disruption of aquatic ecosystems;
and

WHEREAS, The use of salt causes a negative economic impact,
including the costs of replacing damaged vegetation, corroded