Sierra Sues UF Institute Over Lawn-fertilizer Study

Sierra Club is suing University of Florida's influential Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, accusing it of refusing to release public documents that could explain why IFAS has been giving conflicting advice for ways of using lawn fertilizers to minimize water pollution.

Sierra representatives said Wednesday that for almost two years, the organization has been asking IFAS officials to provide the names of the people who reviewed and approved an institute study that, according to the national environmental group, has undermined IFAS' longstanding recommendations for limiting the type, amount, timing and location of fertilizer on Florida lawns.

Read the study: "Urban Water Quality and Fertilizer Ordinances: Avoiding Unintended Consequences: A Review of the Scientific Literature"