On August 10, 2014 at 02:28PM, Tom at Watery Foundation published the following article:
About 400,000 people on the west end of Lake Erie lost their drinking water for several days because excessive levels of phosphorus fueled the growth of toxic algae. What is the source of the phosphates being delivered to the lake (primarily in farm runoff)? Florida. About 75% of United States phosphate fertilizer and 60% of granular phosphate is manufactured in Florida.
Fixing the Lake Erie toxic algae problem will require at least a 37% reduction in dissolved reactive phosphorus. That cutback and more is necessary for many Florida water resources too. Here’s the question: Do the manufacturers of the phosphate bear any responsibility for this disaster?
For reference, look at another company’s decision. The CVS pharmacy company decided they would stop selling tobacco because it was “inconsistent” with their purposes and would “make a significant difference in reducing the chronic illnesses associated with tobacco use.” If a corporation’s product is ruining one of the Great Lakes and shutting down drinking water plants, doesn’t the company bear some responsibility for what happens after they sell it? How about if their product is also damaging Florida water bodies?
Read this article from Watery Foundation at http://www.wateryfoundation.com/?p=10454.
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