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MIDWEST AGRICULTURE BIG CONTRIBUTOR TO GULF DEAD ZONE
INDIANAPOLIS STAR - Farms in Indiana and eight other states cause most
of the pollution that creates a "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, a new
government study says. The study by the U.S. Geological Survey also says
that manure runoff from pasture, rangeland and feedlots is a bigger
contributor to the problem than previously thought. The dead zone, which
lies along the coast of Louisiana and Texas, is created in the summer
when phosphorus and nitrogen flow out of the Mississippi River and
encourage the growth of algae in the Gulf. The algae growth robs the
water of oxygen, forcing fish, shrimp, crabs and other sea life from the
region.
Fertilizer runoff from corn and soybean farms in the Midwest and South
is the largest source of nitrogen that reaches the Gulf and a leading
source of phosphorus. Scientists worry that production of biofuels will
make the problem worse, as farmers increase corn acreage and nitrogen
fertilizer to keep up with the demand for ethanol. . .
Critics say the study is flawed because it relied on land-use data from
a 1992 agricultural census. Since then, many farms have taken measures
to avoid polluting streams, including installing fences to keep cattle
out of the water, said Don Parrish, who follows the Gulf issue for the
American Farm Bureau Federation. But the study shows that Congress needs
to target land-conservation measures in states where the pollutants
originate, said Michelle Perez, an agricultural policy analyst for the
Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization. Versions of a
farm bill passed by the House and Senate do not address the issue
adequately, she said.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/
LOCAL/802050420/1006/LOCAL
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MIDWEST AGRICULTURE BIG CONTRIBUTOR TO GULF DEAD ZONE
INDIANAPOLIS STAR - Farms in Indiana and eight other states cause most
of the pollution that creates a "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, a new
government study says. The study by the U.S. Geological Survey also says
that manure runoff from pasture, rangeland and feedlots is a bigger
contributor to the problem than previously thought. The dead zone, which
lies along the coast of Louisiana and Texas, is created in the summer
when phosphorus and nitrogen flow out of the Mississippi River and
encourage the growth of algae in the Gulf. The algae growth robs the
water of oxygen, forcing fish, shrimp, crabs and other sea life from the
region.
Fertilizer runoff from corn and soybean farms in the Midwest and South
is the largest source of nitrogen that reaches the Gulf and a leading
source of phosphorus. Scientists worry that production of biofuels will
make the problem worse, as farmers increase corn acreage and nitrogen
fertilizer to keep up with the demand for ethanol. . .
Critics say the study is flawed because it relied on land-use data from
a 1992 agricultural census. Since then, many farms have taken measures
to avoid polluting streams, including installing fences to keep cattle
out of the water, said Don Parrish, who follows the Gulf issue for the
American Farm Bureau Federation. But the study shows that Congress needs
to target land-conservation measures in states where the pollutants
originate, said Michelle Perez, an agricultural policy analyst for the
Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization. Versions of a
farm bill passed by the House and Senate do not address the issue
adequately, she said.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/
LOCAL/802050420/1006/LOCAL
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