A sensible vote for cleaner water

Pinellas County commissioners moved the county Tuesday to the forefront of efforts to restrict the phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizer polluting Florida waterways. It's a wise move that should dovetail nicely with proposed new federal standards.

Pinellas' ordinance is more stringent than any other county's. It bans the use of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing fertilizers on lawns and plants from June 1 through Sept. 30 starting this year, and retail sales of those fertilizers during the same period starting next year.

The ordinance also limits how much phosphorus and nitrogen can be applied, establishes 10-foot fertilizer-free zones along waterways and requires training and certification of professional applicators. Golf courses and vegetable gardens are exempt. The ordinance applies countywide, though cities may opt out or enact their own ordinances.

There is substantial evidence that phosphorus and nitrogen leach into waterways and contribute to overgrowth of algae, which degrades water quality and its ability to support marine life. In Pinellas, where three-quarters of the waterways are so polluted they are labeled impaired, a tough response from government is appropriate.