Minnesota Agency Cuts Back Road Salt Use

ST. CLOUD (AP)- The Minnesota Department of Transportation is cutting back on using ice-melting salt on the state's highways.

The move is aimed at saving not only money, but also Minnesota lakes, rivers and streams from salt contamination.

Executive director Steve Woods of the Freshwater Society says once salt gets into the water, ``it stays in the water.''

Trevor Russell, water program director for Friends of the Mississippi River, says nearly 40 water bodies in the Twin Cities already have more chloride than
water quality standards allow.

Other products like cheese brine and beet juice have been tried to melt ice on roads, but some have side effects. So road engineers are working to use road
salt effectively so they don't have to use as much.