HDC article to get committee treatment

I stand corrected. And I hope it works. 

Hold on there Grant. I challenge you to tell me exactly where the new fertlizer regs have been watered down from previous attempts. We produced a 70 plus page Best Management Practices document that was peer reviewed by some of the top turf and soil specialists in the northeast. The document is the basis for the new regulations which were adopted by the Board of Health this past summer. There will be a program where every commercial fertilizer applicator will have to obtain a license and show knowledge of the BMP. The BMP and the regulations specifically limit the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus being applied. There are also specifics and limits on quick release nitrogen applications. There are even guidelines on compost applications, something that if applied in excessive amounts can over time introduce an incredible amount of phosphorus into the groundwater and ultimately our surface water bodies. The Town and the Nantucket Land Council will co-sponsor our annual landscaper educational workshop this March focusing on the BMP. The NLC has copies of the BMP available for commercial landscapers and is in the process of having the document translated into spanish. With the blessing of Town Meeting this spring, there will be an appropriation for a town employee to administer the licensing program and further educational initiatives. All in all it was one of the most positive committees I have ever worked on. Tangible real results that changed policy and regulations for the better of the environment...

Cormac Collier