When everyone was running out of salt last year… one of the questions that you kept asking was… how can there be a salt shortage if
Detroit sits on top of a salt mine?
SEE HEATHER CATALLO'S INVESTIGATION IN VIDEO PLAYER RIGHT
So Action News Investigator Heather Catallo tried to get some answers from the Detroit Salt Company about where all the salt underneath this city.. is going.
When the flakes start to fly… rock salt on our roads and driveways can save lives.
But once again – salt is going to be a hot commodity.
Jeff Miltimore and his brother run J & C Plowing in Troy. As a smaller snowplow company – they had a hard time finding rock salt during last year’s shortage.
[Jeff Miltimore/J & C Plowing] “It’s frustrating, because I have customers that are important to me.”
Usually Jeff buys his salt as he needs it… but this year Jeff’s supplier told him to buy every bag of salt he thinks he’s going to need for the entire season – now.
[Jeff Miltimore/J & C Plowing] “It makes you sweat, cause it’s that extra capital you have to, you know, pull out of your own pocket.”
The lack of salt is also causing a stir at Angelo’s Supplies in Farmington Hills.
They have plenty of bagged salt.
But when the private companies that plow driveways and local businesses come by for bulk salt – it’s going to be a big problem.
[Dana Lacey/Angelo’s Supplies] “This is the weirdest year I’ve ever seen.”
Manager Dana Lacey says Angelo’s will not sell bulk salt to any new customers this year and they’re already rationing it.
[Dana Lacey/Angelo’s Supplies] “Ten ton. That’s all they can get per storm, per 24 hour period.”
So what’s causing the shortage? According to the Salt Institute, last years heavy snowfall depleted the salt supplies for several states. Agencies like MDOT, and county road commissions get first crack at the salt – before private contractors and homeowners.
Across the country – the salt mines have been working 24 hours a day to produce rock salt since last winter. But getting all of those tons of salt onto barges and into trucks takes time and money… that’s why prices at places like Angelo’s have doubled.
[Dana Lacey/Angelo’s Supplies] “This year, it’s $99 a ton, which is quite an increase. My answer for that is because they’ve had to work everybody all the over time to keep the salt going, they’ve raised their prices.”
But a lot of metro-Detroiters want to know why Michigan is feeling the effects of the salt shortage… if Detroit sits on a salt mine.
[Jeff Miltimore/J & C Plowing] “It seems like if we do have one… we should use it.”
And that’s all I wanted to ask the owners of the Detroit mine… but they wouldn’t call the Action News Investigators back for several weeks.
[Heather at Detroit Salt Co.] “Hi, I’m Heather Catallo from Channel 7, I was trying to talk to someone about the salt shortage?”
When I showed up at the mine – I was told to call one of their managers later.
[Heather at Detroit Salt Co.] “You know what, I’ve been calling them since September and nobody calls me back, so they need to find me somebody to talk to.”
After that visit – mine officials did call back to tell me they mainly supply salt to MDOT, and county road commissions. And for those agencies – there is no shortage. They also told me in a written statement that the Detroit Salt Company “is working closely with Metro Detroit communities to meet their needs this upcoming season for winter safety.”
That’s good news for our local freeways – but small business owners like Jeff Miltimore say they are still facing a salt shortage.
[Jeff Miltimore/J & C Plowing] “There might not be a shortage for Oakland County, or Mcomb County, or city of fill in the blank, cause they have way more buying power than I do. They say jump, and they say how high? Guy like me, they’re like well, you can have what falls off the truck.”
The good news for homeowners is that so far – there doesn’t seem to be any shortage on the smaller bags of salt. But because of good old “supply and demand” – you’re going to paying a lot more this year.
