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Florida’s Fertilizer Addiction Is Feeding an Environmental Nightmare–

VolusiaConitratesourcesDEP2017 In: Florida's Fertilizer Addiction Is Feeding an Environmental Nightmare-- | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
VolusiaConitratesourcesDEP2017 In: Florida's Fertilizer Addiction Is Feeding an Environmental Nightmare-- | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Nitrate sources in Volusia Co. FDEP, 2017

 

Nancy Long is accurate in her assessment of our fertilizer and chemical abuses.  Many counties have now initiated summer bans on lawn fertilizer in order to help our aquifer.  Relatively little agriculture is practiced in Volusia compared to other counties so the sources of most nitrates are urban fertilizer and septic wastes.

Other sources are human wastewater disposal systems such as sprayfields, animal wastes, and urban and agricultural fertilizers. In Florida fertilizer is out of control.  Statewide, about 70 percent of nitrates going into our waters come from agriculture, 12 percent from urban fertilizer, 12 from septics and 5 from wastewater treatment. 

Our current BMAPs  fall so far short of fixing this that they are a joke.

But nobody is laughing as we watch our springs and rivers die.

Read the original letter in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum


 

Florida’s Fertilizer Addiction Is Feeding an Environmental Nightmare

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Fertilizing a nightmare

Florida faces a catastrophe of polluted waterways and algae blooms.   Many Florida counties have implemented fertilizer bans, which prohibit the application of any fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus between June 1 and September 30, or when the National Weather Service predicts heavy rain to occur within 24 hours.  Many of our residents do not realize the insecticides and fertilizers applied to keep their lawn beautiful wreak havoc on the waterways. 

This past  week, despite the fact that it was pouring rain and that more heavy downpours were predicted, I drove past a “lawn care” truck and saw a worker spraying chemicals on the neighbor’s grass. Our street is directly on the canal which means that those chemicals wash off from canal to river.  

I ask that elected officials closely monitor these companies who have the contracts to treat lawns, to make sure that they honor the  fertilizer and insecticide bans.  Train their staff with other skills during the summer months, but stop the ridiculous spraying of fertilizer and insecticides during the  rainy season, especially for properties built along our waterways.  And Residents, please realize the weed killers, insecticides, and fertilisers you use to create your lovely grass lawn are killing our environment!!

Nancy Long, South Daytona

 

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