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Ohio May Use Twice The Usual Road Salt This Winter

A spokesman says the Ohio Department of Transportation may end up using nearly twice as much road salt this season as it typically requires for an average winter. 

Spokesman Steve Faulkner says the agency uses 630,000 tons of salt in an average winter. It had nearly that much on hand in October, before what has been an unusually cold, snowy winter. Faulkner says the agency has called in contracts for an additional 510,000 tons and received permission to buy 45,000 tons more. Salt demand is outpacing supply, and some shipments have been delayed. Faulkner says that has limited the state's ability to help local governments that are short on salt or can't afford to buy more. He says the department has tried to help those communities on a case-by-case basis.