The Michigan Department of Transportation may soon use Beet Juice to combat icy roads in the winter, as the State Senate Tuesday voted in favor of the idea.
Under Senate Bill 379, The Michigan Department of Transportation would be required to conduct a pilot study to determine if using Beet Juice is a better option to use on Michigan’s icy roads during the winter months.
It’s called GEO Melt, and they way it works is this: While salt is traditionally used as a deicer due to its ability to lower the freezing point of water, salt also does not disintegrate and is extremely taxing on Michigan’s roads. Beet juice as it turns out, lowers the freezing point of water even further, meaning, a mix of salt and beet juice might do an even better of melting the ice, and be less damaging to the streets and the cars that drive on them.
State Senator Roger Victory is the bill’s sponsor. He says, the bill would have a huge financial impact on Michigan farmers.
“Michigan is one of the top states in Sugar Beets, and this is a byproduct of beet processing.”
The Senate passed the bill 34-2 on Tuesday, as it now moves to the House for consideration. A number of cities including Toronto are already using beet juice as a de-icing substitute to salt.