Tampa to Consider Ban on Nitrogen Fertilizer

The Tampa City Council next week will vote on a proposed ban on the sale of lawn fertilizer with nitrogen and phosphorus in the rainy seasons.

The move comes as the window for local governments to pass point-of-sale restrictions on fertilizers is closing, with a state law prohibiting bans going into effect on July 1.

Councilwoman Mary Mulhern proposed the ban at a workshop on May 26th.

Council members will hold a first vote on the proposed ordinance on June 2, followed by second and final vote on June 23. If approved, it would go into effect before July 1.

Scientists at the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Sierra Club are pushing for Tampa to adopt the ban, arguing that nitrogen-laden fertilizers contribute to nutrient pollution that saps the oxygen in waterways and fuels algae blooms that harm delicate marine life. ...

(On May 26th the Tampa Bay Estuary Program made a presentation to the City Council arguing for the ban. View TBEP's presentation here.