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Salt Miners Return To Work

Half of the crew at a salt mine under Lake Erie is back on the job. The mine was closed recently amid questions about its stability. Brian Bull of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports.

Cargill shut down its salt mine a week and a half ago, after an earlier inspection indicated that part of it may have suffered structural damage. 

All 100 miners were put on paid leave, as consultants and technicians were brought in from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Cargill spokesman Mark Klein says several sections of the mine have now been shored up with waste rock and salt.  He adds that 45 out of the site’s 100 miners are back on the job. 

MKlein01:  “Now that we’ve looked at a lot more data and had many other people in to advise us, we’re comfortable going back in. The plan is to move slowly and safely initially, and then possibly by next week, have everybody back.” (:18)

The Cargill salt mine is a major source of road salt.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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