News
Summer Fertilizer Ban Starts June 1
May 19, 2022
jbrotton
Maria Lamb 5/18/2022 Editor's Note: According to the March Marco Island Police Department Report, three landscaping companies fertilizing without a permit received education and information regarding the permitting requirements. Monday, June 1 is the beginning of the summertime fertilizer blackout. Per Marco’s Fertilizer Ordinance No. 16-02, during this period (June 1 – September 30), you cannot apply any fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to your lawn.
Read MoreEnvironmental Mystery - Thousands of Fish Die in Third River
May 19, 2022
jbrotton
Montclair-area environmental activists and state officials are trying to figure out the cause of a May 10 fish die-off in the Third River, which the activists describe as having a “devastating impact” on the local waterway. “We had a severe die-off, where what we believe is the entire population of fish in the river just suddenly turned up dead,” Jonathan Grupper, member of Friends of the Bonsal Preserve, said. “Part of what was really tragic about that was realizing how many species of fish...
Read MoreSave the seagrass, lagoons and manatees
May 19, 2022
jbrotton
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board Published 5:02 a.m. ET May 19, 2022 In recent months those fighting to save Florida’s beloved manatees have done things they never thought they’d do — and this month’s decision to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is just the latest example. Manatee experts, state workers and volunteers have rescued hundreds of emaciated, sick manatees whose main food source — seagrass — has been dying at a terrifying rate. Many will need months of labor-intensive...
Read MoreDraft impaired waters list may not reflect nutrient burden
May 19, 2022
jbrotton
05/17/2022 by Jenna Seagle The lower Neuse River is known for many things, including sportfishing and magnificent and serene views from homesites, campgrounds and parks, but increasingly often during this time of year, a foul stench begins arising from its waters. Harmful algal blooms and fish kills can affect recreation, business and property values, and create unsafe and undesirable environmental effects.
Read MoreClimate Change, Drought, Demographics Changing Way Lawn Care is Approached
April 29, 2022
jbrotton
By Cynthia Drummond / ecoRI News contributor April 25, 2022 RICHMOND, R.I. — Love them or hate them, lawns aren’t going to disappear from the New England landscape anytime soon. Caring for those islands of green can be as casual as an occasional mowing, or as involved as season-long programs that include watering, adding nutrients and eliminating weeds and insect pests.
Read MoreA surprising climate change contributor: retention ponds that reduce flooding
April 29, 2022
jbrotton
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New research out of the University of Florida suggests that stormwater ponds, specifically permanently wet retention ponds, are a significant source of climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions.
Read MoreContaminated water from Florida mining facility dumped a year's worth of hazardous nutrients into Tampa Bay in just 10 days, study shows
April 29, 2022
jbrotton
BY LI COHEN APRIL 25, 2022 / 11:02 AM / CBS NEWS All it took was 10 days to devastate the waters of Tampa Bay for months. The nearly "catastrophic failure" of Piney Point, a former phosphate mining facility, unleashed millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into local waterways, and new research, published on the anniversary the leak at the facility began, reveals just how devastating it was.
Read MoreBrandon Shuler: Wastewater fuels harmful algal blooms
April 29, 2022
jbrotton
We must prioritize wastewater treatment to reduce the frequency and toxicity of harmful algal blooms.
Read More$10 million to flow into NJ lakes to combat algae blooms, stormwater runoff
April 29, 2022
jbrotton
William Westhoven Morristown Daily Record Resuming the battle against harmful algae blooms that have closed New Jersey lakes in recent years, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced a $10 million grant program to support waterbody conservation and combat pollution.
Read MoreEditorial: Restore and Protect the Health of the Harbor, Vote Yes on Article 79
April 29, 2022
jbrotton
Posted Monday, April 25, 2022 8:19 am The Inquirer and Mirror (April 21, 2022) Do you remember the old bumper sticker that read GREEN LAWNS = BROWN HARBORS? That sticker alluded to the fact that fertilizing lawns to make them Crayola green results in the runoff of nitrates into the watershed, which then leach into the harbor, producing algae which kill off eelgrass. We need to reverse this trend. Voting Yes on Article 79 to ban the application of fertilizer is a step in the right direction.
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