Senate Rejects Fertilizer Law Moratorium

May 3, 2013

The Senate on Thursday rejected a House proposal to put a three-year moratorium on new local laws aimed at preventing nitrogen pollution of water bodies and wetlands. The House had put language on an environmental regulation bill that would prevent local governments from putting fertilizer ordinances in place and calling for a study of effect of fertilizer runoff on the environment.

The moratorium would have prevented new ordinances to regulate “nonagricultural fertilizer or its use,” unless using a model ordinance adopted by the state between July 1, 2013 and June 3, 2016.

The Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Thad Altman, said the language was never heard in a Senate committee, and was highly controversial and that “to take it on Day 59 as an amendment from the House,” was a bad idea. The Senate voted to take the language out of the bill, which didn’t come up for a final vote. The Senate could take a vote on the bill without the fertilizer language on Friday. It would still need approval in its new form from the House.

By The News Service of Florida

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News