Annapolis leaders call on county to follow lead in saving bay
By Carolyn Peirce
Examiner Staff Writer 1/11/09
"Over fertilizing of lawns and the use of phosphate in lawn applications is contributing greatly to the death of the Chesapeake Bay, and very little has been done about it," said Alderman Sam Shropshire, who co-sponsored a bill with Alderwoman Julie Stankivic, forbidding the use of phosphate lawn fertilizers as of Jan. 1 within city limits.
"If we do indeed care about the Bay and its tributaries, then we should change behavior that is contributing to the algae blooms and poisoning of the Bay."
The measure, which the City Council passed this the summer, focuses on phosphorus because it runs off the city's streets and lawns into the water and spurs the growth of harmful algae.
"Algae is sucking the very life out of our waters, and marine life is for the most part dead," Shropshire said, who added that oyster harvesting is down 96 percent since 1983.
Annapolis also approved legislation updating and placing stricter controls on stormwater runoff for non-waterfront properties.
"The City of Annapolis is doing its part," Shropshire said.
"Now we need Anne Arundel County and other Maryland counties and municipalities to match our efforts."
Shropshire said local governments must take action because the $6 billion spent by federal and state governments on the environment during the past 16 years has made little change as seen through the steady deterioration of the Bay.
Frank Biba, the city government's chief of environmental programs, said the legislation, especially the phosphorus ban, is a good step in reducing pollutants, but the impact may not be far-reaching.
"It won't have much impact on the Chesapeake Bay, and therefore, it's incumbent on other jurisdictions to take action as well," he said.
Biba said he's working toward greater public awareness and posting notices outside local businesses that sell fertilizers, but many Annapolis residents travel outside city limits to buy lawn care products at stores like Home Depot, which isn't required by law to post the notices.
The policy, therefore, could put city businesses selling fertilizers at a competitive disadvantage to county businesses, said Anne Arundel County Councilman Josh Cohen, whose district includes Annapolis.
He welcomed Shropshire's plea and said he hopes to convince his County Council colleagues to pass similar legislation.
Stankivic pitched the bill to the County Council about a year ago, Cohen said, but there was little interest. Now that Annapolis has adopted the policy, Cohen said council members may be more open to consider doing the same.
"This is good environmental policy, and the city and county should work in concert to implement it," he said.
"One small town acting alone is not going to have a major impact on the Bay. All of us need to be looking at how our actions affect the environment."
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