News Environment
Is fertilizer runoff in central U.S. causing Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’?

There’s been some mixed messages from environmental groups and farming groups on what is the source of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2018, a group of university studies collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration attributed the dead zone to nutrient pollution. One study, by the University of Michigan, concluded that “the Gulf’s hypoxic zone is caused by excess nutrient pollution, primarily from human activities in the watershed, such as urbanization and agriculture,” it said in a statement. Several other studies also pointed to Midwest agricultural practices, but the issue now is – what can be done and how can states work together to address a water issue that goes beyond state lines? | READ MORE