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NJ To Get Much-Needed Shipment Of Road Salt

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A much-awaited shipment of road salt is expected to arrive at Port Newark, with another one due next week.

The cargo ship is to arrive from Chile on Thursday.

The salt is being supplied by International Salt, a primary supplier for the state, The Star-Ledger reported. A company spokeswoman didn't say how much was in this week's shipment.

New Jersey's efforts to get a 40,000-ton load of salt sitting in Maine have been held up by a federal law that prohibits international vessels from transporting cargo from one U.S. port to another.

On Tuesday, Sen. Cory Booker said he and Sen. Robert Menendez were able to work with federal authorities to release the much-needed rock salt to the Garden State.

"Right now, with the critical crisis we have with storm after storm after storm hitting our state, with cities and our state depleting their supplies of rock salt, this is an urgent matter," Booker said. "The state's going to be able to get the salt that it needs."

State transportation department spokesman Joseph Dee says a barge is on its way to Maine to pick up a portion of the salt stockpile. He says the state currently has enough salt to cover one storm.

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