Underwater salt mine closure in Ohio raises safety and supply concerns for winter
Summary
Morton Salt permanently closed its Fairport Harbor, Ohio, mine after water poured through a ceiling crack. The closure threatens road-salt supplies for Ohio communities, while the unknown source of the water has prompted questions about the safety of mines beneath the Great Lakes.Key Facts
- The Fairport Harbor mine produced about 1.3 million tons of rock salt each year.
- The mine closure eliminated 77 jobs.
- Trumbull County relied entirely on the mine for road salt and used about 30,000 tons annually.
- Trumbull County had a stockpile of about 14,000 tons and was seeking additional supplies.
- A township in a neighboring county warned drivers that road conditions could be hazardous because of the salt shortage.
- Morton Salt officials had not found the source of the water intrusion weeks after the closure.
- An engineering professor said water could reach a mine through a fault, connected fractures, or a damaged shaft or seal.
- Five salt mines are partly or entirely beneath Great Lakes waterways, including mines in Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario.
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