Leading by example to help Save Lake Erie is the Scotts Miracle Gro Company, based in Marysville, Ohio. They have offered to voluntarily remove phosphorous from their mature lawn fertilizers by the end of 2012 in an effort to help save Lake Erie. The Scotts Miracle Gro Company is known around the world for their various lawn and garden brands including Ortho, Scotts, Miracle-Gro and Roundup. http://savelakeerie.com/
Lake Erie has been under siege by toxic algae and scientists believe one cause may be increased levels of phosphorous in wastewater sludge from lawn fertilizer runoff. For some strange reason, it is legal in Ohio to spray fertilizer and liquid manure on frozen ground. Ohio is outlawing the practice in Grand Lake St. Marys watershed and needs to expand the ban not just around Lake Erie but to the entire state of Ohio.
In addition, phosphorous in mature lawn fertilizers has already been banned in Michigan, as well as many states around the US including Maryland, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Wisconsin. Although Ohio has not banned it yet, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has taken the noble step of removing it from all mature lawn fertilizers by the end of 2012.