Exhibit 99.1

Compass Minerals International, Inc. Appoints Richard S. Grant to its Board of
Directors

     OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2004--Richard S. Grant was
appointed today to the board of directors of Compass Minerals International,
Inc. (NYSE:CMP) and to the board's audit committee.
     He is a former member of the board of directors of The BOC Group plc
(NYSE:BOX) (LSE:BOC), a leading worldwide supplier of industrial gases and
vacuum technology. He served as the chief executive of The BOC Group's Process
Gas Solutions division, with additional responsibility for Latin America and
technology. He has also served as chairman of CNC sa, a Mexican joint venture
company, and as chief executive of divisions of Ohmeda. Grant holds an honors
degree in engineering from Leeds University, UK.
     Grant will replace Robert F. Clark who is stepping down today to promote
the board's increasing independence. Clark served as president of Compass
Minerals and its predecessor companies from 1993 to April 2002 and as chief
executive officer of Compass Minerals from November 2001 to April 2002.

     About Compass Minerals International

     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 nine production 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.

     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 for the year ended December 31, 2003, on file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (Commission file no. 1-31921). The Company will not update
any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect future
events or developments.

     CONTACT: Compass Minerals International, Inc.
              Peggy Landon, 913-344-9315