Wisconsin County Melting Snow from Roads with Cheese Byproduct

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.