Tampa Area Looks to Regulate Fertilizers

The Tampa Bay watershed is designated as ''impaired waters.''

The Pinellas County, Fla. Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing for Jan. 19, 2010 on regulating landscape maintenance practices and the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus.

The Tampa Bay Estuary (TBE) program has worked the last year to generate regional guidelines for the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorous in urban landscapes. In November 2008, the TBE Policy Board approved a regional model ordinance to protect and improve water quality in the Tampa Bay watershed.

Florida Senate Bill 494, passed in 2009, set requirements for fertilizer, including a requirement for areas with ''impaired waters'' to adopt, at minimum, the state model fertilizer ordinance. Pinellas County has impaired waters.

Pinellas County may enact a ban on the use and retail sale of nitrogen and phosphorous nitrogen from June 1 through Sept. 30, which is the rainy season. Note: Golf courses, farm operations and vegetable gardens would be exempt.

If passed, the ordinance would take effect immediately, but a retail sales ban and enforcement would not begin until May 1, 2011.