Mahoning commissioners buy alternatives to road salt

YOUNGSTOWN

To conserve scarce and costly road salt as winter approaches, the Mahoning County commissioners approved this morning the purchase of up to $100,000 each worth of slag and of a new organic ice control accelerator.

The slag will come from Gennaro Pavers Inc. of Lowellville.

The patented ice-control accelerator, known as BEET HEET, is a liquid de-icer made from sugar beets and molasses.

It is being obtained from its sole supplier, K-Tech Specialty Coatings Inc. of Ashley, Ind.

The Indiana company began developing that product in 2009, and some 175 Midwest municipalities now use it.