Lindenhurst talks ban on phosphorus fertilizer

Lindenhurst is the latest community to consider a ban on lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus.

Village board members have asked their attorney, Paul Phillips, to draft an ordinance that would likely be ready for adoption in early 2009.

"Right now, we are just in an educational period, trying to make people aware of the impact of phosphorus," said Trustee Carol Zerba. "Even when we do have an ordinance, it will be more to just discourage use than to have it be a punitive thing."

Ken Funk, chairman of the Lindenhurst Lakes Commission, gave board members a presentation this week on the effects of phosphorus.

"Our lakes are not spring- or stream-fed," he said. "They are only fed by the runoff by property owners. While we have nice, good-size lakes in Lindenhurst, they are really large retention ponds."

Funk said the Lake County health department has urged all communities to ban phosphorus, particularly Lindenhurst.

"Lindenhurst lakes are at a limit and any additional nutrients will cause the severe algae blooms residents complain about. It would be beneficial to all of us to stop this."

If Lindenhurst moves forward with a phosphorus ban, it will be the third community in Lake County to do so.

In October, environmentalists cheered when Antioch became the first municipality in Illinois to ban phosphorus. Since then, Third Lake has also passed a ban and Round Lake has been considering it.

Phosphorus encourages plant growth, which is good for the grass, but not for bodies of water. The nutrient also fuels algae growth, often to the point where the algae suck oxygen out of the water, killing fish and other aquatic life.

Minnesota instituted a statewide ban on phosphorus in fertilizer in 2005; Twin Lakes, Wis., has banned the nutrient since 2002.