Florida City Proposes Banning Nitrogen-Rich Fertilizer

A proposed rule would ban homeowners from using nitrogen-rich fertilizer during the summer months.

According to Bay News 9's partner paper, the St. Petersburg Times, the model ordinance was passed by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program's policy and management board with the intent of reducing pollution in the Bay area.

Supporters of the policy say that, during the rainy season, most of the nitrogen in the fertilizer washes into lakes, streams, rivers and ultimately, Tampa Bay, where the nitrogen promotes algae blooms. Those blooms then suck oxygen from the water and make it inhospitable for fish, birds and other sea life.

The policy would also prevent stores from selling nitrogen-heavy fertilizers during that time, which extends from June 1 to Sept. 30.

Each city or county would be able to choose whether or not to pass the rule.