The Village of Grayslake, Illinois, unanimously approved a law designed to prevent fertilizer pollution in rainwater runoff. The new law bans the use of phosphorus-based fertilizer for lawn care and landscaping, except in certain situations. Those exempted situations include:
- When soil tests confirm that the ambient phosphorus content is below median phosphorus levels for typical area soils
- Flower beds and vegetable gardens
- Farming or agriculture, provided that the use of fertilizers is related to the growth of a product or maintenance of growing fields.
Grayslake joins Mundelein, Antioch, Gurnee, Libertyville and Lindenhurst among northern Illinois towns limiting residential use of fertilizers with phosphorus. Grayslake is located roughly 40-50 miles north and slightly west of Chicago.
The National Associations of Landscape Professionals is opposed to unnecessary fertilizer bans that could negatively impact the services our members provide. The purpose of fertilizer application and its impact on the environment is often misrepresented by those seeking restrictions or regulations. That is why we need local landscape professionals to become more engaged in our advocacy program. The best way to counter the arguments of special interest activists is for our members to attend their town hall and council meetings to provide a first-hand account of what such a ban would mean, and to provide an expert account on the actual science of responsible fertilizer use. To learn more about how you can become engaged and become an advocate for landscape professionals, contact Paul Mendelsohn, NALP Vice President of Government Relations.
