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Morton Salt's mine closure leaves some Northeast Ohio road salt orders in doubt
The mine went from evacuation to shutdown in four days
- Oct. 22Workers are evacuated after a significant water inflow is discovered.
- Oct. 26Morton Salt announces it has stopped mining at Fairport Harbor.
- Oct. 28ODOT says it's too soon to determine the impact of the closure.
Sources: FOX 8 News, Ideastream Public Media
If you're wondering about road salt this winter, here's where things stand. Morton Salt ceased operations at its Fairport Harbor mine after discovering a significant inflow of water Oct. 22, and it's laying off 77 workers. Lake County, where the mine sits, is one of six counties it supplies.
Chester Township trustees warned residents through the GoGov app that the township's salt order is uncertain. Officials remain hopeful it arrives but are preparing for the possibility of a very limited supply. ODOT says it has about 624,000 tons and is confident it can keep state roads safe.
- Counties supplied: Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Mahoning, Portage, Trumbull
- Investigation: led by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration
- Mine depth: about 2,000 feet beneath Lake Erie
- Township roads: could stay slick even after plowing
ODOT's road salt storage is 73% full
73%Share of ODOT's statewide salt storage capacity in use
Sources: FOX 8 News, Ideastream Public Media
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Share of ODOT's statewide salt storage capacity in use | 73% |
We suggest slowing down and leaving extra room behind other drivers once the snow flies. In Chester Township, the Geauga County Engineer's Office will also maintain Mulberry Road and Wilson Mills Road.
