(Annapolis, MD) – A Salisbury University economic study shows a new rule to better manage manure would be comparable to, or cost less than, other Chesapeake Bay pollution-reduction efforts, said a coalition of nonprofit organizations working to reduce pollution and increase transparency from agriculture. The study provided an overall cost estimate for the agricultural industry to implement the Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) using a phased-in approach, which advocates say shows the new rule is workable.
The science-based PMT would reduce pollution by limiting manure applied to farm fields already contaminated with excess phosphorus levels. The rule would improve water quality, protect public health reduce harmful algae blooms.
“Phosphorus pollution from manure is getting worse, not better in the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland waterways. If this continues, Maryland will jeopardize the decades of progress we’ve made to clean up our waters,” said Joanna Diamond of Environment Maryland.
Experts say the new manure rule is one of the biggest opportunities to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and local waters in more than 30 years.
“It is past time to stop studying this issue and time to start acting,” said Bob Gallagher, of West/Rhode Riverkeeper, Inc. “Rarely can a single initiative achieve such huge pollution reductions in one fell swoop. The new phosphorus rule, like the phosphorus detergent ban of the 1980s, is one of those opportunities to really make a difference.”
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4 comments:
Can they prove that the phosphorus is actually coming from manure, and not from runoff from all the the meticulously groomed lawns on the waterfront mega-mansions and development along the upper bay?
I'm sure they could if they wanted to, but nothing would change, would it?
It's so much easier to keep blaming the farmers and the septic owners
western shore commercial polluters, connowingo dam, upper bay farms and homes. NEED MORE PROOF. Don't accept this crap until they have done a COMPLETE study. This is NOT complete.
The soils on the lower shore are naturally high in phosphorus. They had high phosphorus levels before mankind even evolved! The government thinks they can control everything, even nature. What a joke.
10:05 They don't need to "prove" anything, they're a non profit advocacy group. They don't need facts, or common sense... just a "study" from SU (WTF?) and they're on their way to ruin lives... one farmer at a time.
They don't have the basic economic understanding of profit/loss, and how business runs. It's feel good crap, and when it does nothing, they will change their script and go for MORE changes, taxes, etc.
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