Morton Salt stops work at Fairport Harbor mine after water leak

Residents of Cuyahoga County are seeing reduced activity at the Morton Salt facility in Fairport Harbor. The company stopped underground work on Monday, October 26, after water entered the mine on Friday, October 22. All employees left the site safely, and no one was injured, according to a company press release.

The leak triggered an immediate evacuation. Morton Salt stated that surface activities at the site will be heavily restricted while the mine remains closed. The company is now investigating the breach with independent experts and regulatory bodies to decide on next steps. It is also notifying customers and vendors about the pause in operations.

Local officials are monitoring the situation. Mike Cook, the public information officer for the city of Painesville, said he spoke with Orin McMonigle, the city’s water superintendent. McMonigle is conducting extra water testing to confirm that the mine incident has not affected local water quality. Cook described this as a precautionary measure.

Morton Salt has kept communication limited since the incident. A company spokesperson told News 5 Cleveland in an email that stakeholders should refer to the press release for details. The spokesperson did not specify how many employees would be impacted by the closure. The company also said it is working to evaluate the impact on the mine structure.

The Fairport Harbor Mayor, the local miners’ union, and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday. Only the city of Painesville has provided a statement so far. Morton Salt has not announced a date for when underground operations might resume.