TRENTON — New Jersey lawmakers, as part of a plan to control the flow of pollutants into the state’s waterways, passed what’s being described as the nation’s toughest restrictions on fertilizer.
Nitrogen (contained in fertilizer) causes algae blooms that deprive water of oxygen and kill marine life. In New Jersey, environmentalists maintain — and scientists from Rutgers University concur — that nitrogen is the primary reason for the slow death of salt water bodies, particularly the Barnegat Bay.
Some critics think more should be done and that the current plan does not address the heart of the matter, which is suburban sprawl. Click here to read more.
Excess fertilizer use contributes to local water pollution.