Senate approves statewide phase out of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer

Initiative will lead to cleaner lakes

Released 1/15/08 Contact Tami Jackson (lakeinfo @ wisconsinlakes.org

The Senate passed SB 197 today. The bill, modeled after Dane County’s successful
ordinance, would ban the use and sale of phosphorus lawn fertilizer (with a few reasonable exceptions).

“We are pleased that this initiative won strong bipartisan support,” says Roger Walsh,
Wisconsin Association of Lakes Legislative and Legal Committee Chair. “The Senate
adopted a good bill today. We encourage the Assembly to pass this bill quickly and get it to the Governor’s desk.”

The vast majority of Wisconsin’s lawns are saturated with too much phosphorus, a nutrient commonly found in fertilizer. Phosphorus runoff from lawns goes directly into surface waters, fueling smelly algae blooms and nuisance plant growth, suffocating fish, and making summertime unpleasant for property owners and recreational users on some of Wisconsin’s beautiful lakes.

This bill enjoys broad support from county and local governments, local lake groups,
statewide conservation organizations, and others interested in cleaner, safer, healthier lakes for everyone.

“Using phosphorus free lawn fertilizer is one easy step everyone can take to improve water quality,” says John Molinaro, Wisconsin Association of Lakes President. “This bill would make the right fertilizer choice for lakes—phosphorus free lawn fertilizer—the default choice for consumers.”