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Error Leads to Discrepancies in Ohio Salt Settlement Payouts

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CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Officials say some public entities receiving a share of Ohio’s $11.5 million settlement over road-salt pricing got a different amount than they expected because of a data error.

A spokeswoman for Ohio’s attorney general says a few amounts weren’t accurately copied when data was transferred from a spreadsheet and posted. Spokeswoman Kate Hanson tells The Repository of Canton the office realized the error when communities questioned the paid amounts.

Stark County’s Sugar Creek Township was anticipating about $5,800 but got a check for only $558. Nearby Lake Township received over $9,700, thousands more than the initially reported amount of about $3,100.

Hanson says the checks were correct.

The state had alleged rock salt producers Morton Salt Inc. and Cargill Inc. conspired to drive up prices. The companies denied wrongdoing.