CLA Supports Legislation to Ban PhosphatesThe NYSDEC has drafted, and the governor has endorsed, legislation that is currently pending in legislative committees to require that dishwasher cleansers sold be phosphate free (actually no more than a trace amount of five-tenths % - can’t totally remove from environment/process) along with a prohibition on the sale of fertilizers containing more than a trace amount of phosphorus, except for use when a soil test indicates that additional phosphorus is needed (which is very unlikely).Vendors selling specialty fertilizer containing phosphorus must also display such separate from non-phosphorus fertilizers and display a sign indicating that “Phosphorus runoff poses a threat to water quality” and further stating conditions only under which Phosphorus-containing fertilizer may be applied to the soil. At its regular meeting of April 21, the Chautauqua Watershed board passed a motion endorsing the pending legislation. At its regular meeting of April 22 (Earth Day), the CLA board passed a similar motion. |
