Phosphorus to blame for Lake Erie dead zones

[Hamilton Reef]

Researchers: Phosphorus to blame for Lake Erie dead zones

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MI_ERIES_DEAD_ZONES_MIOL-?SITE=MITRA&SECTION=HOME

May 23, 2006

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Melting snow carrying phosphorus from northern Ohio's farms contributes to so-called "dead zones" in Lake Erie where the oxygen is low, researchers say.

Storms flush phosphorus, a common farm nutrient, into drainpipes, creeks, then rivers and finally into Lake Erie. Once there, phosphorus causes extreme plant growth and algae, which suck oxygen from the water when they decompose.

"We always knew weather was important, but were not able to document it," said Gerald Matisoff of Case Western Reserve University, who headed a U.S. team of Lake Erie researchers. "Now we're seeing a connection."

The findings were expected to be presented Tuesday at a Great Lakes conference in Windsor, Ontario.

"Dead zones" create an area devoid of fish, worms and clams on the bottom of the lake, hurting commercial and recreational fishing.

Researchers estimate that two-thirds or more of the phosphorus entering Lake Erie comes from runoff during storms.

While summer storms also wash fertilizer into the lake, big winter snowmelts can be worse.

Four of the 10 snowiest winters to hit the region have occurred since 2000.

"We will need to focus some of our land management issues toward trying to keep the soil on the land and the nutrients on the land," Matisoff said.

[Whit1]

That's a good reason for anyone owning a home on or within the watershed, with drainage, into a lake needs to use no-phosphorus fertilizer on their lawns.

[Hamilton Reef]

In Muskegon County we have united our WL & ML PACs, watershed organizations, and Muskegon Conservation District to persuade our county board commissioners to propose and pass a county wide phosphorus ban for lawn fertilizers. We have the support of the Co commissioners. Look for coming announcement to take effect in 2007 to give businesses time to adjust their inventories for spring 2007.

[Hamilton Reef]

Algae back in force

http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1150298155255970.xml&coll=8

Wednesday, June 14, 2006 By Jeff Alexander CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER

Algae blooms that can make beaches stink and pose health threats have returned to the Great Lakes and numerous inland lakes, three decades after government agencies thought they had the problem licked.

Mats of smelly algae have been washing up on a growing number of Great Lakes beaches and along inland lakes in recent years, according to a report released today by the Michigan Environmental Council.

According to the report, invasive mussels and phosphorus found in lawn fertilizer and dishwasher detergent are to blame. Zebra and quagga mussels have increased water clarity in numerous Midwest lakes over the past two decades, which allows algae to grow in deeper water; phosphorus fuels aquatic plant growth when it gets into surface waters.

The result: Explosive algae growth in scores of inland lakes, including several in West Michigan, and along miles of rocky Great Lakes coastline in northern Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio.

"Invasive species, combined with legal loopholes that encourage phosphorus pollution, have opened the door for algae's comeback," according to the report.

Algae blooms fouled vast areas of the Great Lakes in the 1960s and '70s. The problem was largely solved after Congress passed the Clean Water Act, communities built new sewage treatment plants and states banned the use of phosphates in laundry detergent.

Lana Pollack, president of the Michigan Environmental Council, said the state should ban the sale of lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus and limit phosphorus concentrations in dishwasher detergent.

"Parts of the problem -- like what to do about invasive quagga mussels that exacerbate the problem -- are harder to solve than others," Pollack said. "But other parts, like closing loopholes in pollution laws and educating homeowners about water-friendly ways to fertilize their lawns, are relatively simple."

Toxic algae has been found recently in Muskegon, Mona and Bear lakes. And an exotic algae, called enteromorpha, coated much of the Muskegon Lake shoreline last summer with a blanket of rancid vegetation.

Another type of algae, called Cladophora, is coating rocky beaches along all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior, according to the report. Cladophora is not a problem in West Michigan because the algae does not accumulate on sandy beaches, scientists said.

Muskegon County commissioners are considering a countywide ban on the sale of lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus. If adopted, it would be the first ordinance of its kind in Michigan, according to local and state officials.

Spring Lake Township and the village of Spring Lake recently approved a similar ban.

Some Wisconsin counties have banned phosphorus-based lawn fertilizers, as has the state of Minnesota. A ban on phosphorus fertilizers in Dane County, Wis., survived legal a challenge from the lawn care industry.

Dennis Griesing, vice president of the Soap and Detergent Association, said Michigan should conduct a thorough study of phosphorus inputs into surface waters before taking any action. He said phosphorus, which is a critical component in dishwasher detergent, represents a tiny fraction of all phosphorus entering lakes and streams.

Most phosphorus in dishwasher detergents is removed by wastewater treatment facilities, said Rick Rediske, professor of water resources at Grand Valley State University's Annis Water Resources Institute.

Eliminating phosphorous from lawn fertilizers would likely be the quickest way to reduce the volume of phosphorus draining off farms, residential lawns and golf courses and flowing into Michigan's lakes and streams, Rediske said.

Soils in some counties, including Muskegon and Ottawa, are already saturated with phosphorus, Rediske said.

Residents around Spring Lake collectively spent about $1 million last year to treat the lake with alum, a move intended to absorb excess phosphorus in the water and lake bottom sediments. Spring Lake has been plagued by massive algae blooms for several years.

The type of toxic algae found in Muskegon and Bear lakes can cause health problems in humans, fish and wildlife. GVSU scientists will sample area lakes this summer for toxic algae.

"Algal blooms are a concern, but they are variable depending on the temperature of the lakes and the nutrients (phosphorous) in the water," Rediske said. "In areas where there is phosphorus saturation of soils, banning phosphorus fertilizer makes sense because it's not doing any good."

[Hamilton Reef]

County poised to outlaw harmful fertilizers

http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1150470911180250.xml&coll=8

Friday, June 16, 2006 By Steve Gunn CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER

Muskegon County is about to become the first county in Michigan to ban the sale or use of phosphorus-based lawn fertilizers.

But the state of Michigan may soon adopt a similar law, with many of the same provisions as the county ordinance. If that happens, the county ordinance would be repealed.

Some officials are not happy with the proposed state law, because they say it's not as thorough as the county ordinance. For instance, it allows some use of phosphorus-based fertilizers, does not ban the sale of the fertilizers, and has few provisions for enforcement, according to one state environmental advocate.

Muskegon County commissioners, meeting Thursday as the community development/strategic planning committee, voted by voice consent to pass the ordinance banning the fertilizers effective Jan. 1, 2007, because of the damage that phosphorus does to area waterways.

Most fertilizers that people buy from stores, or have applied through lawn services, have phosphorus. Commissioners are expected to finalize their approval at Tuesday's full board meeting.

The county ban will be more than symbolic. Provisions for enforcement and clear penalties include:

* Enforcement by the Muskegon County Health Department.

* Individual violators who use the banned materials on their lawns could be fined $25 per infraction.

* Any commercial fertilizer applicator, residential or commercial developer, industrial or commercial owner who uses or sells the banned fertilizer could be fined $50 for the first violation, $150 for a second violation within a year, and $300 for the third and any subsequent violations within the year.

* The ordinance offers exemptions to new lawn areas in their first growing season, or lawns that are below normal phosphorus levels, based on soil tests.

* It would also allow phosphorus-based fertilizers for agricultural uses, vegetable or flower gardens and trees and shrubs, and yard waste compost.

The ordinance was suggested by a local environmental group, due to the damage phosphorus causes lakes. Studies suggest that phosphorus that drains from saturated soils contributes to rampant weed and algae growth.

Similar ordinances have been passed by governing bodies in Spring Lake Township, the village of Spring Lake and the city of Ferrysburg, as well as Dane County, Wis., and the state of Minnesota.

"We've been receiving calls from around the state from people who want to know what we're doing," said Commissioner Bob Scolnik, a leading proponent of the ordinance. "This is a major step for Muskegon County to help the environment."

Vicki Webster, environmental health supervisor for the health department, said she's not sure how her department will handle enforcement of the ordinance. But she believes it will be similar to its enforcement of the county's air quality ordinance.

"If someone in the community makes a complaint, and we're able to verify it, typically we'll give people a warning first, then issue a ticket the second time," Webster said.

Webster said she expected enforcement to be geared more toward retail stores, rather than individual homes.

"We would need a warrant to go on the property to look in the garage," she said.

The county's ordinance may not be relevant for long, according to Ted Williams, the county's corporate counsel. That's because a bill currently in the state Senate would ban the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers throughout the state. If it passes, the county would have to repeal its ordinance, Williams said.

But Williams recommended that county commissioners move ahead with ordinance approval, because there's no guarantee the Senate bill will ever become law.

Some environmentalists fault the proposed state law, because they say it's not as tough as some local ordinances.

For instance, people would be allowed to spread a half-pound of phosphorus per 1,000 square feet, in areas where the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has deemed to have acceptable levels of phosphorus in soils.

In areas that have higher levels, no phosphorous could be applied at all.

The county ordinance bans all use of phosphorous-based fertilizers, except in specific cases.

Meanwhile, the county ordinance bans the sale of phosphorous-based fertilizers, while the state law would not ban sales. The responsibility would be placed on property owners to make sure they're buying the right fertilizer with legal amounts of phosphorus.

Enforcement of the state law would be handled by the Michigan Department of Agriculture, probably on a complaint basis, according to Jeff Cobb, spokesman for State Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom, R-Norton Shores.

The bill passed the Senate's agriculture committee Thursday, and will now go to the full chamber. Van Woerkom is a co-sponsor of the bill and chairs the agriculture committee.

James Clift, policy director of the Michigan Environmental Council, said local ordinances throughout Michigan are far tougher on phosphorous, and the state should not interfere with weaker laws.

[Hamilton Reef]

ALERT!!!

Republicans are taking the state SB840 route to sabotage the efforts of Muskegon County to limit phosphorus in our watersheds! Muskegon's own Republican Gerald Van Woerkom is cosponsor of Senate Bill 0840 (2005).

Senate Bill 0840 (2005)
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(urp1vd2gimfhln55zagowkm4)/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=2005-SB-0840

Sponsors Wayne Kuipers - (primary)
Ron Jelinek, Gerald Van Woerkom, Judson Gilbert, Alan Sanborn, Tony Stamas, Jim Barcia

Categories Agriculture, fertilizer; Environmental protection, pollution prevention; State agencies (existing), agriculture; Local government, other

The phosphorous fertilizer bill—SB 840—revises fertilizer regulations but does not go far enough to reduce phosphorous in fertilizer, which has contributed to the reemergence of algae blooms in Michigan lakes and the Great Lakes. The bill also preempts stronger phosphorous regulations by local units of government. We are working to make several improvements to the bill, which could be voted on by the Senate floor this week.
Source: Michigan Environmental Council Capitol Update 6-26-06