new jersey department of transportation spokesman joe dee said .
townsquare media reported that the department of homeland security ( dhs ) denied the state ’s request for a waiver of the jones act , a 1920 law requiring that all cargo and passengers moving between points in the united states be transported on american vessels .
“ rock salt is an essential to maintaining safe travel on state , county , local , and interstate roads as a result of the dangerous and icy as winter ice puts lives at risk on new jersey roads , townsquare media has learned that a 1920 federal maritime law stranded a shipment of road salt at a maine seaport while urgent requests for a waiver were denied by the u.s. department of homeland security .
as of february 14 , new jersey has completely run out of road salt for such applications .
a waiver that would allow new jersey to get the salt within days from a foreign transport in searsport , maine .
simpson alluded to the situation in an exclusive interview with eric scott , aired on new jersey 101.5 friday morning but said he was hopeful the federal government would help .
meanwhile , new jersey has been unable to transport 40,000 tons of available road salt in searsport , maine in time to meet the urgent need here .
townsquare media has learned federal help was actually refused , literally causing new jersey ’s road salt shipment to miss the boat .
a foreign transport sitting ready to load in searsport is now approaching port newark empty , because the department of homeland security denied the state ’s request for a waiver of the requirement for an american - flagged vessel .