Due to chemical runoff from farms along the Mississippi
(NEWSER) - Chemical runoff from farms along the Mississippi create “dead zones” each year in the Gulf of Mexico—areas where nitrogen, phosphorus, and animal manure settle, feeding the algae that steals the oxygen from all other living things. This year’s record flooding will likely lead to the biggest dead zone ever, the New York Times reports. The government has pinpointed nine states as the major source of the problem, and environmental advocates have long called for regulation. But despite federal pressure, the states have done little, much to the chagrin of their neighbors downstream. More»
