Controversial Herbicide Applied to Fight Invasive Water Plant in Lake George
Reprinted from CBS 6 News Albany
BY SEAN CAVANAUGH
PUBLISHED 6:56 PM ET jUNE 30, 2024
LAKE GEORGE, NY (WRGB) — Lake George- This weekend, a controversial chemical was put into select spots on Lake George.
The herbicide ProcellaCOR, which is used to treat an invasive aquatic plant, the Eurasian watermilfoil, was deployed in parts of the lake– leaving many wondering what risks it’ll bring.
The herbicide was applied after the Lake George Park Commission got the green light from the state Supreme Court on June 28.
This decision is raising concerns with clean water advocates. The move from non-chemical methods leaves some uneasy with this herbicide.
"You an also use mechanical methods to remove milfoil and that was ongoing in the case of Lake George. The association offered to pay for it," Bobbi Wilding Executive Director of Clean + Healthy said.
For years– the commission used divers to physically remove the aquatic weeds.
The Lake George Association believes the long-term effects of putting this herbicide in people's drinking water are not fully known.
"Probably going to find collateral damage on other native species and I guess I would end by saying I hope this is the end of it. I hope that the state doesn't decide to use this more pervasively," Board Chair of the Lake George Association Dr. John Kelly IIIsaid.
However, the Lake George Park Commission says the herbicide has been applied in 30 lakes across the state already –all seeing success and no negative impacts.
They said in a press release:
There are no drinking water restrictions following the application and has been used in public drinking water supplies many times
There are no swimming restrictions following the application
There are no fishing restrictions following the application
There are no lawn irrigation restrictions
According tothe Lake George Park Commission it has been applied to
Minerva Lake, 41 acre treatment, year 2020
Glen Lake, 13 acre treatment, year 2020
Saratoga Lake, 33 acre treatment, year 2021
Lake Luzerne, 35 acre treatment, year 2023
Lake Sunnyside, 33 acre treatment, year 2023
Brant Lake, 164 acre treatment, June 2024
Paradox Lake, 65 acre treatment, June 2024
Caroga Lake, 30 acre treatment, June 2024
Upper Chateaugay Lake, 97-acre treatment, June 2024
Highland Forge Lake, 18 acre treatment, June 2024
The implications still have not been studied for a long period the the herbicide has only been cleared for use since 2018.
"This pesticide is also known as a PFA chemical which we know as forever chemical and so when you put a forever chemical into a lake that is serving drinking water for people you are directly, ensuring that that kind of chemical could end up in the water that people are consuming," Bobbie Wilding, executive director of Clean + Healthy, said.
PFA chemicals have been banned in the state of New York so this has raised some confusion.
We have reached out to Sepro, the makers of the herbicide, to confirm this but have not yet heard back.
