Dormont opts to conserve salt during shortage by not treating alleyways

DORMONT, Pa. — As several local communities deal with road salt delivery delays, Dormont plans to conserve supply by not salting alleyways.

With more snow in the forecast, communities across the region are doing what they can to conserve salt.

RELATED COVERAGE >>> Multiple Allegheny County communities report salt shortages as winter weather continues

That includes the Borough of Dormont, where officials said they’re not planning to salt alleyways until the salt supply is replenished. Crews will salt and plow roads as they normally would.

Dormont is one of 23 municipalities in Allegheny County that is a member of the South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG). In the last week, Scott Township, Castle Shannon, Kennedy Township, and others have reported shortages of road salt and delayed deliveries.

“We’re disappointed that the salt wasn’t necessarily there when our communities needed it, but we’ve been told a number of barges are on the way and being diverted from other areas in the country to help plug that need for our region,” said Patrick Conners, SHACOG executive director.

Conners said while SHACOG has a salt purchasing contact with Compass Minerals in Louisiana, each community has an individual agreement with the supplier, so not all have been affected. Mt. Lebanon borough officials told Channel 11 they received a shipment Tuesday morning and are in good shape with salt supplies for the foreseeable future.

Dormont residents weren’t happy to hear about the borough’s plans to conserve salt.

“Not salting the alleyways in Dormont is a problem,” said Thomas Minnick, who has lived in Dormont since the 1960s. “The alleyways all go uphill, just like the roadways do…so it’s a problem. They need to get some more salt.”

It’s unclear when the barges carrying salt from Compass Minerals will arrive in the area.

Conners is encouraging all of SHACOG’S communities to keep in contact with them this week.

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