Treasurer’s Office Also Awards Contract for Climate Superfund Cost Assessment
Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced the hiring of Sue Minter as a Climate Superfund Specialist. Minter served as the State’s Chief Recovery Officer following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. She is well-acquainted with the statewide impacts of climate disasters and confronted the impacts of climate change as the Executive Director of Capstone Community Action in Barre, which was ground zero for the extreme flooding of 2023 and 2024.
“Sue brings an unparalleled combination of experience in disaster recovery, community leadership, and climate resilience,” said Treasurer Pieciak. “Climate disasters are a dangerous and expensive problem. Sue’s leadership will help ensure that the cost assessment for Vermont’s Climate Superfund is carefully and thoughtfully developed, so we can make our communities stronger, safer, and more affordable.”
Treasurer Pieciak also announced the selection of a consulting team to partner with the state and support the cost assessment under the Vermont Climate Superfund Act. Industrial Economics Incorporated (IEc), a firm with expertise in climate change impacts and adaptation assessment, was selected through a competitive bidding process.
“Vermonters continue to experience flood, drought and extreme heat, and are developing plans not only to recover, but to rebuild with resilience,” said Sue Minter. “The cost assessment will not only provide important information to the state about its climate change costs but also support recovery of those costs to ensure Vermont can adapt and reduce future harms from the changing climate.”
Passed in May 2024, the Vermont Climate Superfund law (Act 122) tasked the Treasurer’s Office with developing a cost assessment of Vermont’s climate change impacts from certain greenhouse gas emissions. The measure requires large fossil fuel companies to pay their proportional share of Vermont’s climate change adaptation costs, such as those from severe flooding or extreme heat and drought.
Act 122 also enables the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to issue “cost recovery demands” to the responsible parties. ANR’s Climate Action Office is partnering with the Treasurer’s Office to oversee the development of the cost assessment, which will help establish the foundation for financial recovery demands.
IEc has put together a strong consulting team to undertake this work, including experts experienced in quantifying climate change costs and attributing greenhouse gas emissions to local impacts.
“The state is very fortunate to have such a qualified and experienced team leading the effort to assess Vermont’s climate change costs,” noted Sue.
The IEc team is scheduled to begin work in November and expected to conclude the cost assessment in January 2027, pursuant to the timeline set forth in Act 122.
11.6.2025. Montpelier, VT – Treasurer
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