Some counties in Wisconsin have been using cheese brine or a beet juice blend instead. A few counties across the state have used cheese brine to melt icy roads in the winter. Green County is lucky enough to have a functioning cheese factory where it gets its cheese brine for de-icing. Other counties, like Polk County and Burnett County, have used cheese brine in the past but stopped when the local cheese factory halted operations. Bastian Parschau/Contributor/Getty ImagesIf you don't have access to cheese brine, then beet juice is a popular alternative, though it's not as cost-effective as cheese brine, Josh Kelch, the highway commissioner for Burnett County, told BI.

---

Persons: —, Andrea Bill, Bill, There's, Chris Narveson, Bastian Parschau, it's, Josh Kelch, Pat Gavinski, Gavinski Organizations: Service, University of Wisconsin's Traffic, Safety Laboratory, Anadolu, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Minnesota, EPA, Green County Locations: Wisconsin, Green, Polk County, Burnett, Burnett County, Sauk, Sauk County