Warren County DPW superintendent name to Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force | | poststar.com

Warren County Public Works Superintendent Kevin Hajos has been selected to serve on the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force, an organization tasked to help find ways to reduce the use of road salt on highways.

Hajos has led a team at the Department of Public Works that has begun a program to use salt brine on roads in the winter to minimize the impact of snow and ice, and to help supply towns in the county with salt brine. Brine is considered more environmentally friendly and less expensive than salt,

He was nominated for the task force by state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury.

“I am honored to have been chosen to sit on this task force as we work to ensure protection of the lakes and waterways that are such an important part of our lives and economy here in Warren County and the rest of the Adirondacks,” Hajos said in a Warren County news release.

The 15-member task force has been asked to create a three-year pilot plan for road salt reduction practices. A final report on that study will be due to state legislators in the summer of 2024.

The task force will be chaired by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and state Department of Transportation.

“We are very proud of the work Mr. Hajos has done implementing new solutions to reduce the levels of salt that run off into Lake George and our other water bodies,” Warren County Administrator Ryan Moore said. “His knowledge and experience will be of great value to this important task force.”

Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Rachel Seeber said Hajos has been “a leader in the region’s efforts to curb the use of road salt on our highways while continuing to keep our roads safe during winter weather,” and she thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul for recognizing Hajos’ expertise.

“We are eager to see what steps this task force will recommend to further protect our environment from the impacts of road salt,” she said in the release.

A news release from the Governor’s Office identified 10 of the task force members, who, in addition to Hajos, include former state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens; Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board Executive Director Gerald Delaney; Adirondack Council Vice President for Conservation Megan Phillips; ADKAction Executive Director Brittany Christenson; Kristine Stepeneck, a member of the International Joint Commission — the U.S. and Canada’s watershed quality organization; Philip Sexton, the founder and managing director of WIT Companies, a sustainable winter management company; Robert Kafin, who chairs the Council on the Environment of New York City; and Hamilton County Superintendent of Highways Tracy Eldridge.