GREEN LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON ~ On March 24th Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) introduced legislation to limit the use of phosphates in automatic dishwashing detergents, which would help to reduce phosphates that wreak havoc on aquatic plants and fish in the Great Lakes and other waters. Senator Voinovich said. “This mandated nationwide change to a household product Americans use every day will make a difference in the health of nation’s most important natural resources from this day forward." The Levin-Voinovich bill would limit the use of phosphates in
residential dish detergent by requiring the EPA, beginning in 2010, to ban the sale of residential dish washing detergent that has more than 0.5% phosphorous nationally. A Minnesota study published in 2005 estimated that dish washing detergent accounts for nearly 19 percent of the total amount of phosphorus entering municipal waste water systems each year. Additional cosponsors include Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

Phosphorus is a nutrient essential to both plant and animal life, but aquatic plants require far less phosphorus than land-based organisms. Excess amounts of phosphorus in water-bodies accelerate a process known as eutrophication, or the rapid growth of algae, which causes dense algal blooms to occur. Algal blooms also cause severe environmental damage by killing fish and other aquatic organisms and result in “dead zones” that favor the survival of invasive species such as carp over native species; as well, Algal blooms cause human health problems with the formation of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, which can produce neurotoxins and hepatotoxins, which affect the liver. These toxins are deadly when ingested (or worn) by humans.


A Chinese swimmer removes blue green algae bloom from coastal waters in Qingdao, eastern China, July 2008. A little over a month before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games the venue for the sailing events in Qingdao has been invaded by a forest of blue green algae. City officials say they'll need at least two weeks to clear the coastal waters, mobilizing 10,000 workers aboard 1,000 boats.



The Oregon Senate voted Monday, March 30th to ban dishwasher detergents with high amounts of phosphorous, bringing Oregon in line with other states including Michigan, Ohio, Washington, Massachusetts, and Maryland, that have already adopted a restriction on phosphates in residential dish detergents. Portland Senator Jackie Dingfelder introduced the bill after she learned that states like Illinois, Ohio and Massachusetts had approved bans that go into effect July 2010. Unfortunately there are problems; the low-phosphorous soaps don't work well in commercial dishwashers and for that reason would be exempt from the ban. The soaps also are less effective in hard water. In Spokane, where the ban has already gone into effect, desperate housewives have taken to crossing into Idaho for illicit detergents. Oh my goodness, now we have an illegal detergent market! How much time are these serious Queens of Clean going to get if they're caught using THE ILLEGAL DETERGENT?

Coastal algae bloom is a non-life-sustaining environment to marine and wildlife.