RISE targets local anti-fertilizer movement

Washington-How do you keep track of 80,000 different local jurisdictions, including even school boards with power to pass rules and regulations that can impact the specialty fertilizer business? It isn’t an easy task, but RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) is working on it for more than a half dozen industry members, including Scotts, Lesco, Spectrum Brands, Harrell’s, and others. RISE President Allen James explains, “We’ve created a grassroots department within RISE, and we are organizing our industry all around the country to go down to their local boards and talk about the benefits of our products and help bring some degree of scientific understanding to the debate.” RISE point man Jim Skillen, director of science and regulatory affairs, has found that a big part of the problem is that those who want to restrict fertilizer use don’t have the time to wade through all the scientific research. Recently he tried, without success, to convince a Sarasota, Fla., county commissioner that requiring slow-release instead of regular fertilizer wouldn’t cut down on the total amount of nitrogen applied. At last word the commission was having the order drafted for approval next month. “If we don’t hear about them they get the regulations passed before we can move in,” he adds. “And there’s no software to track the business of local municipalities.” So Skillen relies on newspaper accounts and help from local agriculture organizations. One benefit, he notes, is that since 2004 legislation has been passed in eight states removing local authority over fertilizer. The total is now 10 since two states already had laws on their books. Bills were introduced this year in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, and Skillen is working with others. Skillen usually provides written statements to local entities considering fertilizer regulation, adding that “it’s not very helpful to show up in person when you’re from Washington.”