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State Law Blocks Fertilizer Ban08-20-07 | News

State Law Blocks Fertilizer Ban




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Phosphorous, an ingredient in many fertilizers, has a powerful effect on plant growth in areas such as Clear Lake. If it gets into waterways, it can lead to excessive plant growth, including among invasive weed species the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is trying to control or eliminate because those plants choke out native vegetation and cause problems for boaters.


New local ordinances aimed at protecting Steuben County, Indiana?EUR??,,????'???s 100-plus lakes by restricting the use of phosphate-based fertilizers on lawns might be unenforceable under state law.

The Indiana Office of the State Chemist and Seed Commissioner is notifying county and Clear Lake officials that a 2001 state law gives that agency the authority over how fertilizers are used and stored, said Mike Hancock, the office’s fertilizer administrator.

A similar no-phosphorus rule is now in effect in Madison, Wis.

Clear Lake’s Town Council approved restrictions in June, while the commissioners in the county in the state’s northeast corner backed a similar ordinance in July.

“You can pass ordinances until you’re blue in the face, but you don’t have the authority to enforce it,” Hancock said.

The state law allows a local government seeking such a ban to petition the state chemist’s office for a public hearing to make its case.

Source: www.jconline.com

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