Neshannock Township may go from sprinkling seasonings to spraying vegetable essence on roads this winter.

Township supervisors, meeting Wednesday, heard that anticipated road salt shortages in Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware have driven up the price of road salt to $145 per ton.

Last winter, the township used 1,600 tons of road salt and paid $37 per ton, spending $59,000.

At the new price, that amount of salt will cost the township $232,000 ’ if they can even get it, according to Supervisor John DiCola Jr.

As director of public services, DiCola’s duties include road repairs and plowing snow.

COUNCIL WOES

DiCola, who is Neshannock’s representative on the Lawrence County Council of Governments, said the high price of road salt dominated this week’s council meeting.

The council of governments helps its members obtain low prices for commodities, including road salt, through joint purchases.

However, when the solicited 11 companies for bids in July, it got no takers, he said. When a second request for bids went out, the council got one response ’ $145 per ton.

An alternate bid offered salt at $89 per ton plus freight, according to DiCola, who added a local freight hauler informed him it will cost $40 to $45 per ton to haul the salt from its location in Maryland to Lawrence County.

Last year, the council of governments paid $47 per delivered ton for salt.

DiCola said the salt shortage is widespread, surprising Supervisor Gale Measel.

’I was always told that salt is an inexhaustible commodity, that the supply will never run out,’ he said.

That changed this year, DiCola noted.