Compass Minerals International Settles Strike at Goderich, Ontario, Mine.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union Local 16-O have ratified a collective bargaining agreement with Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP), ending the strike that began on April 14 at the company's salt mine in Goderich, Ontario. Maintenance and safety specialists will return to work immediately. The remaining miners will be recalled upon the completion of safety protocols. The union represents approximately 350 employees at the mine.

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

Managers and supervisors sustained limited operations at the mine during the strike, allowing Compass to meet its commitments to its year-round chemical-industry customers. The company had strong inventories of deicing salt when the strike began, so the strike is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the company's 2006 annual financial results.

About Compass Minerals International, Inc.

Based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Compass is the second-leading salt producer in North America and the largest in the United Kingdom. The company operates ten production and packaging facilities, including the largest rock salt mine in the world in Goderich, Ontario. The company's product lines include salt for highway deicing, consumer deicing, water conditioning, consumer and industrial food preparation, agriculture and industrial applications. In addition, Compass is North America's leading producer of sulfate of potash, which is used in the production of specialty fertilizers for high-value crops and turf, and magnesium chloride, which is a premium deicing and dust control agent.

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