COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two of the leading producers of rock salt have agreed to pay $11.5 million to the state of Ohio as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that they conspired to drive up prices of the commodity, bought in huge quantities by state and local governments to keep roads free of snow and ice during Ohio’s bitter winters.
The office of the Ohio Attorney General filed an antitrust lawsuit against Morton Salt Inc. and Cargill Inc. in Tuscarawas County in 2012, claiming the two companies “divided up the Ohio rock salt market between themselves,” agreeing not to compete with each other during the annual process of setting prices paid by public transportation agencies, causing state and local governments to pay higher prices.
The lawsuit claims Cargill and Morton “predetermined which company would win particular bids in Ohio” for about a decade, ending in 2010, allocating customers between themselves and driving up prices, according to a release from the office of attorney general Mike DeWine announcing the settlement.
Most of the $11.5 million will be distributed to local governments, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Ohio Turnpike Commission.
DeWine’s office says Cargill and Morton are two of the major producers of rock salt in the U.S. and the only two that mine rock salt in Ohio for commercial sale.