Proposed phosphorus fertilizer ban presented to policy committee

The Greater Sudbury Watershed Alliance have presented a proposed ban to the Greater Sudbury policy committee that would restrict the use of phosphate-based fertilizer within the city.

Lilly Noble, co-chair of the Greater Sudbury Watershed Alliance, made a presentation to the committee during the April 20 meeting.

Noble said using fertilizer with phosphorus increases blue-green algae in lakes.

“The problem with blue-green algae is it produces a toxin,” she said. “It's dangerous to contact your skin. It's dangerous to drink. It can make you sick and damage your liver cells.”

Noble said blue-green algae has been detected in several lakes across the city including Ramsey Lake, Long Lake, McFarlane Lake, Grant Lake and Windy Lake.

The bylaw Noble proposed to the committee would limit the use of fertilizers with phosphorus, as Noble said there are times citizens will still need to use phosphorus based fertilizer. She said the bylaw would not affect vegetable gardens, flower beds or if a citizen were laying sod.

“Phosphorus is really meant for the growth of roots,” she said. “Lawns that are 10 years old, experts say don't need phosphorus.”

Noble said similar bylaws are in place in various states in the United States, including Minnesota, Maine, New York, Florida and Illinois.

She also said though an education campaign would help, “studies show education achieves only 30 per cent compliance,” and said it would be best to have a bylaw implemented.

“When you actually have a bylaw, Canadians actually listen and they don't like to break laws so you get a lot better compliance,” she said. Noble also said if an education-only campaign was launched, it would have to be repeated every spring.

Ward 2 Coun. Jacques Barbeau questioned Noble on what a reasonable time frame would be to implement the ban.

Noble said the lake stewardships are planning and education campaign this year, regardless of the status of the ban. She said after a year of educating the public, September 2012 would be a good time to implement the ban.

Ward 9 Coun. Doug Craig said he would support the ban “without question.”

“I look forward to the time when like smoking, pouring that type kind phosphorus into our lakes...will become like smoking (and) be socially unacceptable,” he said.

City staff will review the report and bring the information back to city council for a final decision.

Ward 10 Coun. France Caldarelli said she hopes the information brought back to council will include a bylaw as one of the options for councillors to consider.

“I think that education is good and I think it goes a long way,” she said. “But I think a bylaw...will increase compliance and I think it's necessary.”