It may be in the upper 80s today, but the state and local communities are already thinking about the coming winter. And theyre looking at some bills for road salt that are stopping them cold. During last years long and brutal winter, Jefferson County in far eastern Ohio used 4,000 tons of salt to keep its roads clear. With all that snow and ice not too far away in memory, and with forecasts of a bad or even worse winter ahead, the countys Dave Hayes was interested to see what the prices would be for a ton of salt this year, compared to last years $36.45 per ton. We had to go with Central Salt for a price of $105.38, which is a 289 percent increase," Hayes says. Jefferson County participates in the state purchasing contract for salt, to try to get a better bid deal. But Hayes says, not this time.
Were stuck. The reason we participate with the state is because we can secure lower prices normally. And if we went out on our own we might not even get a bid. And if we did, it might be a lot more than $105.38. I know theres other counties across the state that were even much higher than that.
Steve Faulkner is with the Ohio Department of Transportation, which buys and stockpiles salt for its own trucks for the winter. And ODOTs running into the same high prices. On that contract, were looking at some prices that, for the first time that we can remember in a long time, prices have hit more than $100 per ton in some counties and that is an issue. Salt companies are saying last years seemingly endless winter drained their inventories, so the high costs are simply reflect how high the demand is compared to the limited supply. Faulkner says the state can absorb the huge cost increase a lot easier than some communities, which can have varied prices because of variable needs. So the agency is trying to work as a go-between to get a cheaper price. When you get a bid back thats more than $100, what we are doing at ODOT is were saying to local communities, is this something that you can afford? If it is, lets go ahead and lock it in. If not, perhaps we go to the salt companies and say, can we get a lower bid on this salt? But one lawmaker says hes suspicious. Rep. Jack Cera is a Democrat of Bellaire on the West Virginia border near Wheeling. He says hes heard of salt price increases as high as 300 perecnt. In talking with local people whove talked to some of these salt companies, theyve asked that question is it supply and demand? and they werent satisfied with the answer. So I just think its something."
Three hundred percent increase seems pretty high, no matter what the issue is.
Cera has asked Attorney General Mike DeWine to investigate. The AGs office says Ohio preparing for a trial next May on a lawsuit filed two years ago against Cargill and Morton over a decades worth of salt prices paid by ODOT and other government entities. And the AGs office says while it continues to monitor salt prices, it cant comment further.