St. Louis launched a pilot program to give residents free salt for their homes. But, commercial trucks took most of it

What was meant to help St. Louis residents’ winter preparedness turned into a salty scramble last week after commercial trucks allegedly depleted the city’s free salt supply intended for homeowners ahead of Winter Storm Fern.

The City of St. Louis announced Friday on Facebook that it distributed 1.5 tons of free salt at five firehouses ahead of winter weather, but the “bring your own bucket” program ran out so fast that many residents couldn’t get any.

City officials said that crews will use most of it to treat roads. But residents, neighborhood associations and other groups were allowed to pick up the plentifully provided salt. However, the salt available on Friday was cleared out within hours, and when officials refilled it on Saturday, it was gone in just 30 minutes, city chief operating officer Ben Jonsson told KSDX.

Frustrated residents blasted the City on Facebook, accusing officials of misleading the public about salt availability after some visited two or three locations only to find little to nothing left. The mild, sunny weather later in the week would have been perfect for spreading salt, they argued.

City officials said the salt ran out quickly, not only due to residents but also because commercial entities took it in bulk, exploiting the “good faith” pilot program.

"In many cases, it was the residents who maybe wouldn't have had access otherwise who were able to access it,” Jonsson told the outlet. “We're really grateful for that. But we also had some instances of you know, a commercial truck pulling up and filling up with salt, which is obviously not the intent.”

On Saturday, St. Louis Lambert International Airport recorded 5.1 inches of snow, breaking a 90-year daily snowfall record for that date.

The St. Louis metro area got about 7 to 12 inches of snow between Saturday and Sunday, with areas south of the city seeing the highest totals. The snow came from a monster storm that impacted most of the U.S., dropping a dozen inches of snow in numerous communities before cold air settled in.

Jonsson said the City will continue providing salt for future storms, but will work to limit excessive take.

Residents with unsafe streets are urged to report issues to the Citizens’ Service Bureau and share the report number with their alderperson for follow-up, he added.