House Bill 1032: Restrictions on the
Use of Fertilizer Containing Phosphorus
FACT SHEET
Bill Summary
The purpose of House Bill 1032 is to prevent unnecessary
phosphorus run-off from residential lawns by:
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Establishing restrictions on the application of fertilizer that
contains phosphorus on residential lawns or turf areas;
Requiring distributors, retailers and licensed commercial lawn
care applicators to provide a phosphorus-free alternative to
consumers; and
Requiring distributors, retailers and licensed commercial lawn
care applicators to provide consumer educational information.
House Bill 1032 applies only to fertilizer use on residential
lawns. HB 1032 specifically exempts fertilizers used for flower
or vegetable gardens, pasture, cropland, trees, shrubs, turf
grown on turf farms, or any form of agricultural or livestock
production. The scope of the bill is simply to restrict the use
of phosphorus fertilizer on residential lawns to prevent it from
degrading drinking and surface water resources.
Too Much Phosphorus Harms Indiana Lakes
Over use and improper use of lawn fertilizers causes nutrients,
including nitrogen and phosphorus, to runoff into nearby lakes
and reservoirs. In fact, Purdue’s Department of Agronomy found
that roughly 87% of Indiana lawns have “adequate” or “high” levels
of phosphorus. In other words, the majority of our lawns cannot
uptake or absorb more phosphorus and applying more only
causes it to run off of the lawn and into nearby waterways
and sewers.
7,023 lakes in Indiana are already considered impaired
for phosphorus. Consequently, the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management (IDEM) is developing numeric criteria
for phosphorus in lakes. However, these limits will primarily apply
to municipal and other point source discharges, not diffuse runoff
from residential lawns - a significant source of phosphorus in many
surveyed lakes. Reducing this source of phosphorus will improve
water quality, property values, and tourism while reducing water
treatment costs and wastewater treatment facility burdens.
Hoosier Environmental Council
3951 N. Meridian St., Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46208
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The Serious Problem of Blue-Green Algae
Phosphorus also contributes to algae blooms in Indiana lakes
which deplete the water of nutrients and dissolved oxygen,
leading to eutrophication and fish kills. While some algae is good
for aquatic communities and a necessary part of the food chain,
blue-green algae caused by excess phosphorus covers water like
a scummy blanket and is toxic to aquatic communities and humans.
Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, comes in many different
varieties, and some of these species can produce cyanotoxins.
Some of these toxins contribute to noxious smells and odors
in surface water or even drinking water. Other toxins can cause
dermatitis, liver damage, and neurological damage.
IDEM listed 16,385 Indiana lakes as impaired for algal growth
in the 2008 Integrated Water Monitoring and Assessment
Report, indicating a serious problem with water quality and
noxious nuisance blooms on Indiana’s lakes. Blue-green algae
reduces income from tourism and recreation, property values,
and increases utility costs as drinking water resources become
more contaminated. Restricting the use of fertilizers containing
phosphorus on residential lawns will go a long way toward
addressing this problem.
Many States Have Already Passed
Similar Legislation
There is growing recognition of this problem nationally as evidenced
by the fact that several other states have already passed legislation
regulating the use of phosphorus fertilizers. Those states include
Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey,
New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Hoosier Environmental Council
3951 N. Meridian St., Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46208
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