Gov. Dannel Malloy said the state Department of Transportation is preparing a relief package for all municipalities across the state facing road salt shortages after tackling 12 snow and ice storms this winter season.
Last night, Malloy asked President Barack Obama to declare an emergency disaster to address a potential municipal salt shortage.
“These consecutive, long-duration events have challenged the resources of towns throughout Connecticut, in terms of stretched budgets and inventory of salt to treat road systems,” Malloy said. “Those challenges have been compounded further by regional and national shortages of salt due to unprecedented demand by both public and private sector entities responding to this year’s storm season. I am hopeful that President Obama will act quickly on my request.”
Last night, Malloy also asked the DOT to develop a plan to provide immediate assistance and the Emergency Operations Center reached out to all the municipalities last night to collect information on salt shortages. Then, starting at noon today, any municipality that does not utilize the state contract can contact the DOT to obtain salt for emergency needs.
As of noon on Friday, 121 municipalities responded and there are 22 requests for assistance.
“The majority, 88 out of 167 municipalities, have options to utilize the state salt contract with International Salt,” DOT Commissioner James Redeker said. “The DOT, working directly with International Salt, will defer all of its contractual deliveries of salt to the state until all of the 88 municipalities using the state contract receive their necessary quantities of salt.”
Those deliveries were suspended yesterday due to the heavy snow in the Port of New Haven and on the roadway network, and will take place beginning at noon today.
After assessing the current inventory of salt at DOT facilities and ensuring that there is sufficient salt to address the anticipated demand for salt on state highways, the DOT is offering the municipalities not using the state contract access to its remaining, but limited, salt inventories.
Municipal officials who have any questions about how to access salt supplies should call their Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Regional Coordinator.
