State budget cuts bad for our water

Illinois needs to become a leader in the Midwest and embrace policies and practices that reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. A recent report by the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that Illinois is the leading source of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the Gulf of Mexico.

This pollution causes the Dead Zone, an area of low oxygen in the ocean, and the death of marine life with resulting blows to the fishing industry. Phosphorus and nitrogen are nutrients found in fertilizers and are great for yards and crop yields, but not so great for oceans, rivers and lakes. Here in Illinois, nitrogen and phosphorus get carried into our waterways by rain, causing nuisance algal blooms and fish kills.