Not 1 Drop: Group rallies to halt the use of chemicals in Lake George

More than three dozen people, holding signs and waving at passing traffic, rallied in front of the Lake George Association office on Route 9N Tuesday morning. Several vehicles driving past the group and those coming off the I87 Exit 21 ramp honked their horns in apparent support.

The issue: The Lake George Park Commission, a state agency, has applied to the Adirondack Park Agency and the Department of Environmental Conservation for permission to use the herbicide ProcellaCOR in two bays at the Northern end of Lake George to combat Eurasian watermilfoil.

The LGA, officials of several Northern Lake George towns and concerned citizens believe the use of chemicals to control the invasive plant is unnecessary and potentially hazardous to the health of the lake and the people that use the lake for drinking water and recreation. The LGA has created a community campaign called Not 1 Drop to give voice to towns and citizens around the lake who are concerned about the proposed use of ProcellaCOR.

Dr. Carol Collins, who holds a Ph.D. in lake studies and for more than a decade has been involved with organizations that protect Lake George spoke to the crowd. “It is now a scientific imperative that our New York State agencies prevent the contamination of our drinking water with ProcellaCOR’s active ingredient florpyrauxifen-benzyl and its metabolites, which the state of Minnesota has listed as a PFA. This, my friends, is a hard stop. We have long known that florpyrauxifen-benzyl will kill or harm native plants and animals in Lake George.”

Lake George Waterkeeper Chris Navitsky also spoke about the risk of using chemicals in the lake and questioned the science behind claims that ProcellaCOR is effective and poses no threat to people or the lake. “The science and need for a first-time use of a pesticide in Lake George does not exist,” says Navitsky. The chemical is registered for use by the APA, however, Navitsky says nearly all the research provided to the APA was industry-produced. The research was done in controlled laboratory conditions and research done in actual lake conditions has shown “poor control, poor performance, and negative impact to native vegetation.”

According to Navitsky, Lake George is a dynamic body of water with an exchange rate and currents that will affect the proposed treatment, and, he noted, as other speakers did, that “Lake George is not in crisis and does not warrant the extreme step of chemical treatment.”

LGA Chair Peter Menzies believes that the LGPC position is entrenched and will not be swayed by public opposition to the use of chemicals in Lake George. “… now it’s time for Governor Hochul to stand up, show true leadership, and stop this madness.”

Property owner Jane Carter also appealed to the Governor, “I live in Huletts Landing, and one of our bays is going to be affected, but it’s not just our bay. Up through all the towns— Dresden, Ti, Putnam, Hague — they have said no. Kathy Hochul, are you listening to us? We need to stop this.”

For the past 40 years, Carter says, the LGA has successfully kept the milfoil problem under control with hand harvesting. “Lake George is the Queen of Lakes. It is world famous. It’s our lake with crystal clear waters. We drink the water from the lake. We need to keep it safe.”

Dresden Town Supervisor Paul Ferguson and Hague Deputy Town Supervisor Steve Ramant both say their towns are opposed to the use of ProcellaCOR and other towns on the North end of Lake George, including Ticonderoga and Putnam also oppose the LGPC plan.

“As you know,” says Ramant, “the Minnesota Department of Agriculture feels that the PFAS compound in ProcellaCOR is a cancer-causing agent. Now who in the world would want to put that in the water so that people who drink out of the water, swim in the water, and boat on the water have the potential to get cancer? It’s ridiculous. We need to stop this.” Ferguson questioned why the plan is still going forward if every town in the area has rejected it.

LGA chair Peter Menzies says the Park Commission claims the chemical is effective and safe and that the LGA does not have science backing its fears. Menzies refutes that pointing to the expertise of Dr. Collins and the two years of study the LGA has given to the issue.

Several of those at the rally attended the Lake George Park Commission’s public meeting held later Tuesday morning. The LPA offered to pay for hand harvesting milfoil in Blairs and Sheep Meadow bays, the bays LGPC has targeted for its ProcellaCOR program. The LPA also offered to work with the Commission to develop an environmentally responsible plan to manage milfoil and other invasive species if the Commission would halt its plans to use chemicals.

According to an LPA press release, the Commission rejected the offer and, at the meeting, voted to contract with Solitude Lake Management to apply ProcellaCOR in Lake George pending application approval.

The APA is accepting public comment on the LGPC application through Thursday, May 30. Those wishing to comment can email the APA at rpcomments@apa.ny.gov. The LPA has pursued legal action to halt the permits for ProcellaCOR use in Lake George and says it will continue taking advantage of available legal options. For more information, visit the Not 1 Drop website.