19-02-2025
National salt shortage affecting local communities
CLEARFIELD COUNTY (WTAJ) – Residents in Clearfield County have started to notice the limited amount of salt being put on roads throughout the county due to the salt shortage.
'They've been putting down just the bare minimum to keep up with things I think. And it's just the heavy slush freezing at night time and just been very difficult these past few weeks,' resident Toni Houston said.
With the recent cold temperatures and slushy roads, commutes to and from work for many people have been very hard.
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'When I left work at 6:30 yesterday, it looked like they had plowed the roads but I didn't really see a lot of salt at that time, and there definitely was ice,' resident Elizabeth Lanzoni said.
The national shortage of salt has forced many municipalities and counties to modify their efforts to make supplies last until the next delivery. But many don't know when that delivery could be.
In a statement earlier this month, a major salt supplier, American Rock Salt said,
'We realize some municipalities are concerned about supply and we understand the frustration associated with this very difficult winter stressing our supply chain.'
They also said that so far this winter they have shipped more salt than all of last year.
'In 2024 American Rock Salt shipped 1.8 million tons of salt for the entirety of the winter season; this winter through January 2025 alone we have already shipped over 2.1 million tons of salt. In total, we have mined and shipped more salt so far this winter than all of last year. Municipalities have acknowledged that in some instances they have already used the level of salt in 2025 compared to the level they used for the entire winter season of 2024.'
Community members said that we were due for a winter like this.
'I do believe the last two mild winters have softened us a bit with the driving in the ice and you know the constant snow and cold temperatures,' Lanzoni said.
The harsh weather is also something that is making folks countdown the weeks until spring.
'Punxsutawney Phil said 6 more weeks and I think we are down one so 5 more weeks to go,' Houston said.
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