Will Wisconsin’s Phosphorus Ban Work Better than Washington’s?
Wisconsin is about the 15th state looking at adopt such a ban which affects soaps like dishwashing detergent. The phosphorus contained in the detergent goes into wastewater, which ends up in lakes and helps promote the growth of algae, which uses up available oxygen in lakes, which fish need. Environmental groups and fishermen are in favor of such a ban while users of detergents scramble to find suitable ways to get things clean.
Phosphorus limits will be good for us (www.journaltimes.com)
Cutting the level of phosphorus has had a marked impact in Spokane, Wash. Officials said similar restrictions there reduced the chemical by 14 percent within 10 months of the law’s onset.
The timing was far from ideal. With detergent makers still scrambling to perfect low-phosphate products, some residents decided the only way they could get the grime off their dishes was to flout the law. They drove to Idaho and “smuggled” in Cascade or Electrasol.
Wisconsin consumers shouldn’t face the same dilemma. By the time the law takes effect in July 2010, the detergent industry’s heavy hitters expect to have a more potent line of green products on shelves. That’s why Illinois, which passed its law in 2007, purposely held it in the starting gate until next summer.
Time will tell if good dishwasher detergents will be available. This is just one instance of government and law being pushed too far ahead of technology, which caused trouble for residents of states that were early adopters.
Right now, several Madison, WI beaches are closed due to increased algae:
Algae advisory on Wisconsin lakes and rivers (www.wkowtv.com)
Algae is a common problem. The blue-green variety that floats like paint or pea soup even caused the recent closure of Madison’s Hudson Beach.
“Just a little can cause irritation to the throat,” said Chuck Warzecha, an environmental health specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
This algae growth has happened for a number of years now as the above article mentions.
