Salem officials are exploring a full list of options before diving into a $300,000 salt shed construction project.

During the Monday, March 5, selectmen meeting, Town Manager Henry LaBranche said officials from the town’s public works department will be considering other options including a cheaper type of building.

“Frankly, the shed is still the first priority, but other options are still being explored,” he said.

“A final solution is evolving.”

The proposed shed would house the town’s pile of a salt and sand mixture used to provide traction on the roads during icy weather.

Last month, Salem was cited by the Environmental Protection Agency for having the pile outside, which is considered a hazard to local water sources.

After receiving the citation, LaBranche met with EPA officials, who told him a plan to resolve the issue would have to be formulated within a month. The deadline is drawing near for the town, but officials want to make sure they’re making the best financial choice.

At the selectmen’s meeting, LaBranche listed several other potential solutions, including relocating the pile to another location in town, using another type of ice melter, and constructing a different type of shed.

This last option was favored by Selectman Everett McBride, who said he’s seen cheaper-looking salt buildings in other communities.

A town in Massachusetts near Salem has a cinderblock structure lined with some type of fabric, he said.

“If we don’t have to build a shed, let’s save some money for the taxpayers,” McBride said.

LaBranche said public works officials will be looking into this and communicating with other towns to see how they have tackled the issue.

The proposed shed would be located on the current department of public works property and would likely hold about 2,000 pounds of the sand and salt mixture.

After receiving the citation from the EPA, workers moved part of the outdoor pile into an existing storage shed, placing the remainder on asphalt and covering it.

Should the shed project go forward, Salem may be eligible for reimbursement from the state out of a fund designated to help towns which are located along the I-93 corridor, LaBranche said.

Last month, Windham was also working on moving a similar pile of sand and salt mixture. LaBranche has said this issue is not unique to Salem, and it has occurred in several other towns.