Ohio reaches settlement with 2 companies over salt-price fixing

COLUMBUS

The state has reached a settlement with two companies it alleged conspired to fix road-salt prices.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the deal Wednesday, saying Cargill Inc. and Morton Salt Inc. agreed to pay $11.5 million to the state. Cargill will pay $7.7 million and Morton will pay $3.8 million.

Neither company admitted wrongdoing in the settlement.

Of the total, $6.8 million will be distributed to city, county, township and local offices, based on the amount of salt purchased by each from 2008 to 2010.

Payments are expected to begin later this year, after the attorney general contacts and gathers information from those affected. A preliminary list covered offices in all 88 counties, including most major cities.

“[That sum] divided up amongst all 88 counties – that’s not a lot of money,” said Mahoning County Engineer Patrick Ginnetti.

If that money were divided evenly among Ohio’s 88 counties, 1,300 townships, 250 cities and 600 to 700 villages, “You’re looking at $5,000 per agency,” Ginnetti noted.

At $146.18 per ton, $5,000 would only buy 34 tons of road salt for his office, Ginnetti said. “That’s not really going to help a lot,” he added.

The Attorney General’s Office has not yet determined what formula it will use to allocate the settlement money, said Dan Tierney, an office spokesman.

Youngstown would likely get more money than a small town near Cincinnati because Youngstown bought more salt for harsher Northeast Ohio winters, he observed.

Read more on the settlement in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.