Officials Crying Foul on Phosphorus Fertilizers

While winter's chill has driven thoughts of spring from most people's minds, some in Oswego are already thinking about warmer times ahead.

And when it comes to future lawn and garden maintenance, Executive Director Bill McAdam hopes residents will think twice before using fertilizers containing phosphorus. McAdam said runoff from phosphorus fertilizers can cause the growth of harmful algae in the area’s stormwater detention systems.

“The water turns that icky green color which then in turn sucks more oxygen out of the water and has a detrimental effect on the fish,” he said.  

Ridding a pond of the algae can also be costly to property owners, includng public bodies. Already, McAdam said several states have enacted a ban on lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus, including Maine and Wisconsin.

The three numbers on commercial fertilizer labels represent an analysis of the composition by weight. McAdam said the middle number is phosphorus.

“In most situations, with the exceptions of new lawns, you really don’t need that middle number of phosphorus. It should be a zero,” he said.

He is hoping to partner with village officials in getting the word out about the use of no-phosphorus fertilizers.

“It’s really more of a global issue than a singular issue,” McAdam said. “Oswego could really do well on that but water doesn’t know boundaries.”

Village Trustee Scott Volpe said officials are still in the “information gathering stage” on whether a ban of the fertilizer is necessary.

“The Park District has asked for the village’s help: would we consider implementing a ban on phosphorus fertilizers? But the devil is always in the details,” Volpe said. “We’ve said we’re more than willing to look at this issue but we need to understand more about it first.”

Mainly, village officials want to know how easily residents will be able to buy phosphorus-free fertilizers, and its costs.

“I’m asking the staff right now, if the village was to impose a ban like that, is it now impossible to buy fertilizer that complies with the law?” Volpe said. “Would it cause unintended consequences?”

He said over the course of the next few months, further study of the issue will help officials make a decision.

“I wouldn’t say we’re close to banning it right now,” Volpe said. “We’re just trying to get all of our ducks in a row.”