Cleveland City Council Demands Accountability from Cargill Salt in Advance of the Upcoming Winter Storm

Jan 23, 2026

In advance of the upcoming winter storm, Cleveland and communities across Northeast Ohio are experiencing a salt shortage, raising safety concerns for residents as they travel. Cleveland is contracted to receive salt from Cargill, a multi-billion-dollar corporation based in Minnesota. Cargill is the largest privately held company in the U.S. by revenue.  

Cargill has failed to fill the salt orders submitted by the City of Cleveland. Since August, 20,000 tons of salt have been ordered, and Cleveland currently only has 6,000 tons of salt on hand. Typically, the city needs 4,000 - 7,000 tons of ice for a citywide event. This shortage is prompting the Public Works Department to reduce its use of salt in residential areas. 

We expect Cargill to immediately take action to ensure Clevelanders can go about their daily lives without enduring conditions that are exceedingly dangerous. Council has concerns about how this shortfall occurred and urges Cargill to ensure it maintains reserves in the future so it can fulfill its contractual obligations with the Ohio Department of Transportation on behalf of the city of Cleveland. Working with ODOT, Cleveland City Council is committed to making sure the safety of the residents of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio is the priority, and will follow through with a thorough investigation to make this a reality.