The future of cleaning up waterways might just be pretty, fragrant, and inexpensive.
What could possibly provide these benefits? Flower power!
Findings from a recent study reported that over a 12-week period, flowers grown on cheap floating platforms could extract 52% more phosphorus and 36% more nitrogen than the natural nitrogen cycle removes from untreated water.
An added bonus: The flowers can also be cut and sold in the popular, multibillion-dollar floral market.
Dead zones: ICYMI, water pollution is kind of a big deal—and farm runoff, lawn chemicals, and some septic tanks all contribute. In combination, the runoffs produce “dead zones,” where aquatic life cannot survive, thanks to massive algae blooms that feed on the chemicals and choke out oxygen in the water.
RIP fish: In the 2020 Biscayne Bay fish kill in Florida, the area recorded the largest mass death of fish and other aquatic life on record due to water pollution.
Flower power: Researchers at Florida International University came up with a blooming solution, and not of the algae variety.
Giant marigolds, zinnia, and sunflower seedlings were transplanted into cheap polyethylene foam, “beemats,” that floated in polluted waterways in the canals of Coral Gables and Little River.
Weights anchored the platforms and attached to the shoreline so they never drifted too far away.
Where this goes floats: Researchers plan to study more plant varieties to aid in waterway cleanup and are looking at making some raft modifications.
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Congress to EPA: What’s Your BEEF with Meat Packers?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new regulations that take aim at meat and poultry processors.
And some members of Congress have a BEEF with the EPA’s proposals.
The proposed rules: In late January, the EPA released the details of its proposed “Clean Water Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point source category.”
Huh?
Basically, the EPA formally published its proposals to combat wastewater contaminants that come from slaughterhouses.
Okay… that makes more sense.
At the heart of the rules proposal is a concern from environmental groups about nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants that originate from slaughterhouses. In some cases, the wastewater goes directly into waterways. In other cases, the water goes to municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
But not everyone is on board with the EPA’s suggestions…
Congress responds: Last week, two U.S. representatives—Eric Burlison (MO) and Ron Estes (KS)—pushed back against the EPA and introduced the “Banning EPA’s Encroachment of Facilities (BEEF) Act.” If passed and signed by President Biden, the law would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the rule.
According to the lawmakers, the proposed rules place undue burden on small processors—costs that can be absorbed by larger companies.
Soundbite: “The… proposed regulation isn’t just an attack on family-run small businesses, it’s an attack on rural communities,” said Burlison. “These meat and poultry processors are the lifeblood of our communities. The BEEF Act… lets these hardworking Americans do what they do best, produce safe, affordable food for our families.”
University of Illinois Makes Big Mooves in Milk Production
Pump it up: Scientists led by Matt Wheeler at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are...