Braintrust In Wisconsin Comes Up WIth New Way To Clear Icy Roads... CHEESE!!!

Cheese By-Product Keeps Wis. County Roads Clear Of Ice
December 12, 2012 6:42 PM

POLK COUNTY, Wis. (WCCO) – Melting ice and snow off the roads has created an unlikely partnership in one Wisconsin County.

A local cheese plant is teaming up with the Polk County highway department to produce a brine they say works like a charm.

In Moe Norby’s office, you might think you’re in the chemistry lab. Plastic bottles and jugs containing various liquids are spread out on top of his filing cabinets.

Lifting a bottle of liquid, Norby said, “the cheese whey itself froze at a lower point than regular salt brine.”

Four years ago, the Polk County highway manager began experimenting with an unusual waste product from a nearby cheese plant. What he stumbled on is sending road engineers running for the mozzarella.

“It’s a win-win for both us and the dairy,” said Norby. “They get rid of their waste product and we get it for free, for just the trucking costs...."