Compass Minerals International Settles Strike at Goderich, Ontario, Mine

"We believe that we have reached the equitable resolution thatboth sides were seeking," said Angelo Brisimitzakis, Compass'president and CEO. "Both the company and union members will benefitfrom initiatives developed by the negotiating teams."

Managers and supervisors sustained limited operations at the mineduring the strike, allowing Compass to meet its commitments to itsyear-round chemical-industry customers. The company had stronginventories of deicing salt when the strike began, so the strike isnot expected to have a material adverse effect on the company's 2006annual financial results.

About Compass Minerals International, Inc.

Based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Compass is thesecond-leading salt producer in North America and the largest in theUnited Kingdom. The company operates ten production and packagingfacilities, including the largest rock salt mine in the world inGoderich, Ontario. The company's product lines include salt forhighway deicing, consumer deicing, water conditioning, consumer andindustrial food preparation, agriculture and industrial applications.In addition, Compass is North America's leading producer of sulfate ofpotash, which is used in the production of specialty fertilizers forhigh-value crops and turf, and magnesium chloride, which is a premiumdeicing and dust control agent.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements withinthe meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.These statements are based on the Company's current expectations andinvolve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actualresults to differ materially. The differences could be caused by anumber of factors including those factors identified in CompassMinerals International's Annual Report on Form 10-k filed with theSecurities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2006. The Companywill not update any forward-looking statements made in this pressrelease to reflect future events or developments.