While Maryland and Washington have led paved the way to banning detergents containing phosphorus and they appear to be working... now Wisconsin is on board.
Several other states have taken to initiative to ban hazardous substances from certain household products and H.R. 2775 would prohibit, as a banned hazardous substance, certain household dishwasher detergent containing phosphorus.
Track the bills progress at Open Congress
Original Story
JS Online: Starting in July, consumers will find automatic-dishwasher detergents in stores with lower levels of phosphorus - and likely less cleaning power - as detergent makers respond to state bans on the substance. A law that limits phosphorus content to no more than 0.5% in automatic-dishwasher soap sold in Wisconsin was signed by Gov. Jim Doyle on Thursday. The law will take effect July 1 to give retailers time to sell their current inventory of soap and switch to phosphorus-free detergent. More than a dozen states have passed similar laws at the urging of environmentalists, and the July date has become the national benchmark for the switch to essentially phosphorus-free dishwasher detergent for home use. Commercial and industrial detergents are not included in the bans. "Phosphorus from automatic dish-washing detergent runs into our lakes, rivers and streams every day, causing unsightly and smelly algae blooms that kill fish, destroy ecosystems and detract from the natural beauty of Wisconsin waters," said Amber Meyer Smith, program director at Clean Wisconsin, the state's largest environmental advocacy organization.
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