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House passes phosphorus restrictions By
ASHLEY H. GRANT Associated
Press Writer Published Apr 4, 2002 ST.
PAUL (AP) -- Phosphorus-containing
fertilizers may be on their way out of Minnesota. The
House passed a bill 116-16 Wednesday that restricts the use of turf fertilizers
that contain phosphorus on lawns -- none in fertilizer used in the seven-county
metro area, no more than 3 percent in fertilizer applied elsewhere. It wouldn' t
affect agricultural, golf course or sod farm applications. "
There is a widening patchwork of regulations on phosphorus, " said Rep.
Peggy Leppik, the bill' s sponsor. " If we do nothing, the statewide
patchwork of restrictions will only become worse." If
Minnesota was to enact statewide restrictions, it would be the first state to do
so, according to experts and lawmakers. In
recent years, 28 cities in the state have passed laws restricting the use of
phosphorus-containing fertilizers on lawns. Many popular lawn fertilizers, such
as Scott' s Turf Builder, contain phosphorus. The
chemical occurs naturally in such things as yard-waste compost and is a
necessary nutrient for plants. But researchers say most soils in this area of
the country have enough phosphorus and excess phosphorus is washed into lakes
when it rains. Phosphorus
stimulates the growth of blue-green algae. One pound of the nutrient can produce
up to 500 pounds of algae bloom, taking oxygen away from fish and other aquatic
plants and animals. Phosphorus
that ends up in the Mississippi River combines with other nutrients such as
nitrogen and contributes to a so-called " dead zone" in the Gulf of
Mexico that doesn' t support aquatic life. The
biggest point of contention was an amendment successfully offered by Leppik that
would allow fertilizer containing phosphorus to be used by a licensed, certified
person. In the original bill, that provision only applied to golf courses. Rep.
Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, said expanding it to everyone wasn' t fair to
homeowners who couldn' t afford to hire professionals to fertilize their lawns. "
If you can pay for it, you can get it, " he said. " If you can' t, you
don' t." Leppik,
R-Golden Valley, said if the law is passed, it would likely be enforced by
complaint -- police wouldn' t be out looking for people putting too much
phosphorus on their lawns. A violation would be a petty misdemeanor. The
Minnesota Senate earlier passed a similar bill overwhelmingly. Minor differences
will have to be reconciled. Ashley
H. Grant may be reached at agrant(at)ap.org |
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