Phosphorus Ban Should Come From the State: Michigan Landscape Contractors

Bay County, Mich. officials heard an earful about a proposed countywide ban on phosphorus lawn fertilizers.

Officials say phosphorus appears to be a leading cause of the algae and muck problems that plague the Saginaw Bay.

Local landscaping company owners spoke before the County Board, encouraging commissioners to consider lobbying for a statewide ban instead of adopting a local ban.

''I think we're about five degrees off, running parallel, going down the same road,'' said Jerry Somalski, an owner of Bay Landscaping in Hampton Township.

Multiple commissioners, however, agreed with Chairman Kim Coonan that Bay County needs to lead by example with a ban that the other 21 counties in the Saginaw Bay Watershed can follow.  

Coonan, D-6th District, is proposing to ban the use of phosphorus beginning Jan. 1. The ban would apply to residential lawns, with exemptions for new lawns and agricultural operations. It is modeled after a similar ban in Muskegon County.

Phosphorus is a nutrient found in most lawn fertilizers. A local ban could only apply to phosphorus use, not sales, because that's regulated by the state, officials say.

After the public hearing and another pass through the Human Services Committee, the ordinance could be voted on by commissioners next month.