North Huntingdon running low on road salt; back order never filled - TribLIVE

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As another snowstorm hits the region, North Huntingdon is starting to run low on road salt and has been unable to get the 3,400 tons of the ice-melting rocks it ordered last month, township officials said.

There is sufficient road salt for the snowstorm forecast for Thursday and Friday, Richard Albert, the township public works director, told North Huntingdon commissioners Wednesday.

But if another storm occurs, Albert said the public works department may have to spread partial salt treatments on the roadways.

“I’m not comfortable where we’re at,” with the existing road salt supply, Albert said.

The township has tried to get its road salt order filled, but has not succeeded, said Jeff Silka, township manager.

Silka blamed the contractor for not delivering the 3,400 tons of road salt that should have been delivered within seven days from when it was ordered last month, Silka said.

“We don’t need (road) salt in May, whenever we have to buy our minimum. We need it now,” Silka said.

Albert said North Huntingdon is not the only municipality to run into this problem.

“PennDOT has not been much help for us,” Albert said.

Jay Ofsanik, a PennDOT spokesman for Westmoreland and Fayette counties, could not be reached for comment.

Under the road salt contract signed thought the state’s cooperative purchasing program, its supply of road salt is stored at Three Rivers Marine & Rail Terminal along the Monongahela River in Charleroi.

A spokewswoman for Three Rivers Marine referred questions to its road salt supplier, American Rock Salt Co. of Mt. Morris, N.Y.

Greg Norris, a plant manager for American Rock Salt, could not be reached for comment Thursday morning.

Albert said he understands there is a supply of road salt available, but the company has not delivered it. The contract does not permit North Huntingdon or any other municipality to drive their government dump truck to Charleroi to get a load of road salt.

Each time the township spreads its road salt on its 600 streets — totaling 160 miles of roads — Silka said that about 150 tons of salt are used. That costs North Huntingdon about $15,000 for each layer of road salt, Silka said.

Depending on the length of the snowstorm, Albert said they may have to make three or four trips over the township’s roads, Albert said.

“Our goal is to make the roads passable,” even if there is some slush remaining on the streets, Albert said.

Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252, jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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