[ Via: Time ]
If there ever was a sign that we’ve had more than enough snow this winter, here it is.
Bergen County, New Jersey administrators found themselves in quite a pickle this winter. With their plowing budget quickly running dry, they’ve come up with a juicy solution.
Bergen County is just across the Hudson from New York – and despite being among the wealthiest counties in the nation, this winter has busted their budget for snow removal. Road salt comes at a hefty premium, and being only halfway through winter, they’ve invested in a new, and much cheaper, snow melter: pickle juice. (See pictures of snowstorms hitting the east coast — again.)
While it’s unclear if the mixture ever once contained the delectable deli snack, it’s a green salty liquid that executives say melts snow and ice just as well as solid salt. And the price can’t be beat: the briny mixture costs just 7 cents a gallon, compared to $63 a ton for salt. Quick math works the pickle juice out to roughly $16 per ton, a substantial savings (though commenters on CBS’s story seem to think the math is a bit more complicated). . .
Genius!
— GP
Brined Passaic Citizen
02/03/11 14:32
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Bergen County never fails to amaze me. For my next vacation, I'm staying at the Marketbasket, the best in the land.
02/01/11 15:53
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Jonah's Software Development Guy:
It's New Jersey, that's the way we do things! Please reference Bill McNew's post......
02/01/11 07:49
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Help me out here. If it's that much cheaper, why weren't they using it all along?
Bill McNew
01/31/11 20:00
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If its a port city that has access to the ocean its a snap to use ocean water. Free. But no one makes money off of selling ocean water and the ocean does not carry a union card so thats off the table.
RIPNYC
01/31/11 16:53
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I've got an even better snow remover than pickle juice. PLAIN WATER. When temperatures rise above freezing, snow can simply be hosed off of the street and into a sewer. More people should do this and its a pity they don't.