Watch CBS News

Too Many Storms, Too Little Salt In New Jersey

EAST RUTHEFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The seemingly endless barrage of snowstorms is leaving many New Jersey municipalities running low on salt to spread on roads.

As WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported, towns in Somerset County have been limited to two truckloads of salt each.

Meanwhile in Bergen County, the Department of Public Works has just enough salt to handle one more storm. Rationing is happening in towns such as Westwood, where crews are only salting county roads.

Too Many Storms, Too Little Salt In New Jersey

Another winter blast is set to hit northern New Jersey on Wednesday, with the National Weather Service forecasting 3 to 5 inches of snow.

In East Rutherford, Mayor Jim Cassella told WCBS 880 his borough will be lucky if it gets through it.

LINKS: Forecast | Traffic

"We're going to try to do the best job we can in keeping the streets clear," Cassella said. "But as of now, over the next couple of days, we are trying frantically to get some truckloads in here."

Mark Klein, a spokesman for Cargill Salt, a major supplier for the Northeast, said crews are working overtime, but added that ice and snow along the East Coast has made it more difficult to ship salt from the Southern mines to the North.

"In a typical winter, most of the road salt is delivered before the first snowflakes fly," he said.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.